We Fall Down
by LittletonPace
Summary: *Original Character Centric* *Sequel to Counting Down The Days* *Alternate season 4* Dean's death has affected Andie in more ways than she imagined. Can she get back to how she used to be or has she been forever changed? *chapter 48 up*
1. Chapter 1: I Was Wrong

**A/N:** Welcome to Season 4 of Supernatural with my original character Andie Morgan. If you haven't read her before; I suggest you read my season 3 fic where Andie was introduced called Counting Down The Days, you can find it in my profile. But if you don't want to read all that, and I don't blame you, the Cliff Notes of Andie is that she is an Australian hunter who the boys meet. She has two powers, telekinesis and mental location, the ability to simply _know_ where places and people are. At first she's quite bitter but she grows on them. She and Dean hook up and get married because Andie believes it'll save Dean's soul – it doesn't.

In addition to her powers, Andie has also discovered she can't die until she gives birth to a daughter of her own to carry on her supernatural destiny. When she'll have the baby and who with are still a mystery. But she cannot be killed by demons or anyone else for that matter until this baby is born. Demons don't want the baby around; too much good, etc, etc, you get the idea. :) Hope you like Andie in season 4!

Disclaimer: This story follows the episodes of season 4 and though it may use the dialogue; I do not take that work as my own. That plus the characters and world of Supernatural belong to the show and its creators.

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**Chapter 1**

_I Was Wrong_

That first day waking up without Dean was one of the eeriest experiences of Andie's life. It was also gradually more annoying to her. She'd met Dean the day after he made his deal so technically she hadn't even known him a year but she was missing him like she'd known him forever. She didn't remember aching like this when she'd lost either of her parents. _I guess that's the mentality of a child,_ she'd say to herself, _they're programmed to move on._ But Andie had always prided herself on her ability to power ahead; to move swiftly through the hard times and be that pillar of strength others wished they are. Dean's death, however, had floored her.

Burying Dean had taken Sam, Andie and Bobby all night and into the next morning. Sam was adamant that he not be covered in salt and burned to a crisp like their father had and instead opted for a pine box, citing he wanted Dean to have a body when they figured out a way to bring him back. Neither Bobby nor Andie questioned Sam's motives although Andie had a sneaking suspicion she knew. Pine was much easier to break through than what most coffins were made of. So should Dean wake up; he'd be able to get out a lot easier. That was Andie's hope. As it turned out; the actual matter of bringing Dean back from Hell was going to be tougher than trying to stop him going there in the first place.

They buried him in the midst of some tall, pine trees right in the middle of nowhere in Pontiac, Illinois. It was all a brand new experience for Andie; she'd never physically buried someone she'd loved before. The act of shifting Dean's lifeless, bloodied body out of the back of Bobby's truck and gently laying him in that pine coffin had been surreal for her. He looked and felt like Dean but he wasn't. Dean wasn't in there anymore. And as the three of them lowered the coffin into the deep hole they'd dug and covered it up, Andie felt herself getting angrier and angrier. She _should_ have saved him. She _should_ have found a way. If her life was meant to be so important to the point where she couldn't die until she gave birth to an even more powerful daughter of her own, why couldn't she save him?

After they'd shoveled the last of the dirt onto Dean's grave Sam got this look in his eye; this stealth Andie had never seen before. A resolve that said he wouldn't rest until his brother was out of this grave. He muttered quiet apologies to his brother before heading back to Bobby's truck with his aging friend just behind him. Andie stared at the wooden cross they'd fashioned that perched just above the freshly dug grave. She'd carved Dean's initials into the horizontal piece of flatwood for sentimentality more than anything else. It just felt like something she should do. She pressed her middle and forefinger to her lips then pushed the kiss against Dean's cross, mumbling her own apology to him before joining Sam in Bobby's truck. The three of them drove back to town in abject silence. When they arrived, Sam gathered all of his things into the Impala and told Andie he was going to find a way to save Dean but he didn't want her help.

"You're insane, Sam," Andie had told him. "We could do this together. I want him back just as much as you do."

"Andie…I don't want to get you involved in something…" He'd replied.

"Something what?" She'd countered. "Dangerous? Illegal? Demonic? I really don't care, Sam."

"Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do here," He'd said as he'd climbed into the driver's seat of Dean's beloved car. "But this is my problem; I'll fix it."

"You don't have to." She tried to reason with him as he started the engine. "Dammit, Sam! He'd want us to do this together!"

"Well, he's not here, Andie!" Sam screamed back through the window as he slammed the car into gear. "And nothing we did together saved him from Hell, ok? So did you think that maybe we should try another way?"

"Don't do this, Sam." Andie warned him.

"I'll be fine." He told her in a calmer tone. "Call me if you need me."

And with that, he sped off kicking up a plume of dust in his wake and leaving Andie even more lost than she'd felt before. Bobby came up behind her and said something about promising Dean he'd take care of Sam; watch out for him. He told her he was going to follow the boy even if he didn't want to be followed and added that she was more than welcome to come. Andie declined. If he didn't want her there; she wasn't going to bend over backwards proving him wrong.

So Andie stayed in Pontiac. She went back to the motel room and headed for the bathroom. Her reflection was something out of a horror movie. Dean's blood stained everything she wore and the dirt from his gravesite was smudged all over her face. She slowly stripped down, showered and changed into something clean before heading into the silent bedroom and curling up on her double bed. There was no sound of Winchester bickering, no one humming some old song, no Sam typing at his laptop, no TV, no nothing. Andie had forgotten how quiet solitude was.

At some point she fell asleep because she woke up hours later from a deep slumber. It was morning again; she'd slept a whole day. She got up and instinctively went to the bathroom. But when she got there and caught site of her tired, hollow expression she couldn't be bothered doing anything. So instead she went straight back to bed, curled up under the sheets and willed everything around her to leave her alone. And she stayed like that for the next two weeks.

**xxx**

"Andie?" a faraway voice called.

Hoping the voice was somewhere in her head and she could silence it herself, Andie didn't move or open her eyes.

"I know you can hear me, woman." The voice continued. "Wake up."

Opening her eyes less than a crack, Andie saw the blurred face of her best and only friend who wasn't a Winchester, Cassidy Murphy. She hadn't seen her since the day she'd married Dean; just over three weeks before. She'd sent her the odd text message but Cass wasn't one for keeping in touch.

"What are you doing here?" Andie grumbled at her.

"Well," Cass climbed over Andie and flopped onto the bed beside her. "I heard about Dean. I'm sorry." She laid down parallel to her friend. "I called Sam and he said last he heard you were still here in Pontiac so I figured I'd make the voyage." She bit her lip as she glanced over Andie. "You're not doing so good."

"Is there something that you want?" Andie asked bitterly, eager to get back to sleep.

"Actually; yeah." Cass sat up and crossed her legs. If Andie didn't want to talk about Dean; she wasn't going to force it. "There's a vampire colony making a little name for themselves a few towns over; could use some of that telekinetic mojo of yours to run 'em into the ground."

"No." Andie said before rolling over and turning her back to Cass.

"No?" Cass climbed back over and knelt on the floor in front of her friend. "Andie Morgan saying no to physical violence and more-than-likely bloody vampire deaths?" She nudged her. "Come on; getcha back in the game."

"I said NO!" Andie screamed loudly. As she did; the lamp, clock and mug on the bedside table shattered in their place.

"Whoa…" Cass breathed glancing around at the broken glass. "Did you just do that?" she gave her friend a concerned look; Andie normally channeled her power through her hands.

"I dunno." Andie rolled over again. "Please just go."

Cass sighed heavily but got to her feet. "Ok. Call me if you need me."

Andie was left on her own again for two more days before Cass came stumbling back into the hotel room looking both proud and disheveled at the same time. She started taking off her bloodied clothes as she headed to the bathroom boasting loudly about how she'd defeated the vampire colony all by herself. She continued boasting throughout her shower and afterwards as she toweled off her hair whilst sitting on the floor next to Andie's bed describing in great detail how she'd beaten nine vampires on her own. She crashed midway through her story on the second double bed. Andie had been listening but even that sapped out her energy and she fell asleep again soon after Cassidy.

This method continued for the rest of the month. Andie remained in bed as Cass came drifting in and out every few days. She'd usually come back with a new bruise or scratch from her latest demon battle and regale Andie with the story; another attempt to entice her friend out of her depressive state. But nothing worked. Andie would just watch and listen before going back to sleep.

**xxx**

After a month being basically bedridden, Andie found herself getting restless. She wanted to get back to hunting; she was itching for it. When she told Cassidy she was ready to head out on a case; her friend couldn't have been more excited. She jabbered excitedly like a monkey as Andie finally left the motel room and climbed into Cass's truck.

Cass had been on the nose of all things demonic in Illinois since she'd arrived just after Dean's death. She wasn't born into the supernatural world like Andie had been so she pretty much had to learn as she went. It had been as a teenager that Cass had been introduced to this life when she'd been attacked by a vampire. After she'd managed to fend for herself and kill the beast, she'd awakened a dormant desire inside of her that longed to hunt supernatural predators. Meeting Andie and fighting alongside of her had only strengthened Cass's desire to be a hunter. Her own family, a well-to-do all-American clan, was less than impressed of her life plan so she'd taken off on her own. Her father was the only one who'd shown any interest in her choice of life; sending her off with his truck and favourite shotgun that Cass still used to this day.

The demon they were following was one Cass had uncovered. In her years of hunting she'd learnt to look out for demonic omens and there were more than a few just out of Pontiac. She didn't know what was out there but by the amount of livestock dying for no apparent reason she suspected something bad. And although she'd never tell her; she was grateful to have Andie with her.

"So what do you know about this demon?" Andie asked as they drove along that evening.

"If you're after some exact facts then I got nothing." Cassidy admitted as she changed gears. "I'm going off omens. I figure you and I go in there guns and powers a blazing and scare whatever it is into showing its face."

"Sounds good to me." Andie muttered as she mindlessly twirling her wedding ring with her thumb.

"Great." Cass pulled the truck to a halt. "'Cos we're here." She grabbed her shoulder bag and slid it over her head as she got out of the vehicle.

Andie was perturbed to feel nervous. She hadn't fought a demon in over a month; that was a big deal for her. Normally she flexed her magical fingers every day but she'd been bottling it up for so long she wasn't sure how it was going to pan out. Taking a deep breath; Andie exited the car and followed Cass towards an aging barn at the back of a large paddock where two dozen or so rotting cow carcasses gathering flies.

Cassidy pushed open the door to the barn and through the moonlight saw that it was pretty much empty aside from a few scattered bales of hay. The faint croak of a crow singing out could be heard up in the rafters but there were no other visible animals around. "Well...this is a letdown." Cassidy muttered as she pulled two flashlights out of her bag. She tossed one to Andie then flicked her own on.

"What were you expecting?" Andie asked clicking on her flashlight as she stepped further into the barn. "Blood smeared walls? Skeletons? Mutants?"

"Woulda been nice." Cass smirked in the darkness as she shone her torch around. She heard a hearty flutter of wings somewhere up above her. "Alls we got is pissed off birds…" She murmured. "You go left, I'll go right." She whispered loudly to her friend as she headed to the right of the barn.

"Ok." Andie reluctantly agreed as she veered to the left. She shone her torch around but didn't see anything remotely demonic. More to the point; nothing appeared to have been moved in a long time. There was a thick, undisturbed layer of dust along the floor and coating the walls but nothing even slightly strange. The moonlight was bright at this end of the barn so Andie turned off her torch and sighed. "Damn." She muttered.

"AAGGHH!!" Cass's horrified scream rang through Andie's ears.

"Cass?!" Andie turned and hurried back to the front of the barn. "Cass?!" her heart filled with worry as she looked around frantically for her friend.

"Andie!" Cass's voice called.

Andie bolted ahead to the right of the barn clicking her flashlight on as she ran. "Cass?" she called as she ran. She could hear loud scuffling and grunting in front of her so she kept running. Andie's heart was pounding loudly in her ears as she neared the struggle. When she saw Cass she stopped dead in her tracks.

Cassidy was being attacked by a man dressed head to toe in leather. His coat could almost be mistaken for a cape as it flowed down to the floor and whipped around as he tried to subdue Cass. She wasn't going quietly. Inherently small in stature and frame, Cass could easily be mistaken for being an easy target but she was actually far from it. Her years of hunting had taught her to use her size to her advantage. As well as being small; she was extremely agile and could maneuver her body in all sorts of ways. Her caped assailant had an arm around her neck and was trying to drag her down but Cass had flung her legs out and was gripping them around a metal pillar. She couldn't hold out long but hopefully long enough for Andie to help her out. What she didn't count on was for her best friend to freeze up.

"Andie! Help me!" Cass growled at her friend through gritted teeth.

Andie waved her arm at the caped man but her aim was off and she instead tossed a bale of hay through a window.

Cass elbowed her attacked in the solar plexus and managed to move her head out of his grasp. "Andie!" She hollered at her.

Andie swiped her hand ahead of her even harder and tossed both Cass and the attacker backwards into the far end of the barn against the wall. Cass recovered first and got her hands on a crow bar hanging off the wall. She slammed it straight across her attacker's face and knocked him out cold. Her chest heaving like mad, her eyes started searching for Andie. Her friend was still standing frozen on the spot with a confused look on her face.

Cass tossed her hands out at her sides and stormed towards her. "What the hell, Andie?!" She screamed. "What is wrong with you?!" she jabbed the crowbar in her direction.

"I…I…" Andie stammered shaking her head a few times. "I'm sorry." She suddenly wanted to be away; very far away. "I'm sorry." She spun on her heel and bolted out of the barn.

"Hey!" Cass called after her. She started to follow but was grabbed from behind by her caped attacker again.

"Sweetheart; why run?" The attacker whispered into her ear as his eyes glowed a demonic black. "We could have so much more fun here…"

"Yeah, well," Cass gripped both her hands around the crowbar and slammed it up over her head hitting the demon square between the eyes. The caped demon collapsed to the floor and Cass watched as the black seeped from the demons eyes. "Let's take a rain check."

**xxx**

"What the hell was that?!" Cass hollered as she drove her car into the motel parking lot. Andie had been silent the whole drive.

"I froze up." Andie muttered uselessly.

"Bull crap; since when do _you_ freeze up?!" Cass snapped as she shut off the engine.

"Just let it go, Cass, ok?" Andie jumped out of the car and headed upstairs.

"No I will not let it go." Cass yanked the keys out of the ignition and chased her friend. "You need to figure out what the hell your problem is, Andie!" Cassidy screamed at her as they headed up the stairs. "Otherwise we're both dead!"

"Maybe I'm just not strong enough." Andie mumbled as she entered their hotel room.

"Oh, that is complete BS!" Cass slammed the front door behind her as she followed Andie. "I've known you for years; you have literally been able to do whatever you want! No matter what demon or ghost; whatever; you've always defeated it! And you _know_ you can; you brag about it!" She dropped her hands at her sides. "Why the hell would you think anything else this time?"

"Because!" Andie snapped over her shoulder.

"Because what?!" Cass hollered back.

"Because he's not here!" She turned and screamed as furious tears burned her eyes. "He's not here!"

"Dean?" Cass's face softened.

"I promised him I'd save him!" Andie screamed through sobs. "And I didn't!"

"You _couldn't_." Cass told her.

"I _should_ have!" Andie held her hands to her head. "If I am supposed to be _so_ powerful then how come I couldn't save him?"

"Andie…" Cass sighed. "What happened to Dean wasn't your fault. He made that deal before he knew you because that's who he was. He was saving his brother."

"I don't think I can do this anymore." Andie admitted tearfully. "My parents, my grandmother, Dean…it's like everyone I touch ends up dead..."

"Andie…" Cass said carefully. "This is in your blood; you can't run away from it. As...depressing as it may be...this is what you're _supposed_ to do. And you know it, too. Yes it sucks and sometimes it hurts like hell but I know you know that it's worth it." Andie sunk heavily onto her bed. Cass sighed and joined her. "And for what it's worth? I'm not going anywhere."

Andie face crumbled as she looked at her friend. "That is so gay." She squeaked through tears.

"Oh, suck it." Cass retorted, slapping Andie across the shoulder as she got back to her feet. "I'm gonna go and buy out a liquor store and then get us very drunk; you in?"

"Sure." Andie mumbled wiping the tears away from her eyes. _Man, I hate crying_, she said to herself.

"Ok; be back soon." Cass blew her a kiss and left the room.

Andie scooted back up into her bed and curled up into her pillows. She'd frozen up; she couldn't get her head around it. Her accuracy with her power and her unabashed way of using it was one of the things Andie trusted about herself the most. But when her best friend's life had been threatened; she couldn't use it. She'd failed. Again. And this time she'd almost lost Cassidy. She couldn't keep doing this; it was too dangerous. She needed to wake up and realize what she had to do. Cass was right; it was in her blood and though it might be the worst job in the world; Andie had been born into it for a reason.

**xxx**


	2. Chapter 2: Lose Your Way

**Chapter 2**

_Lose Your Way_

A week after Andie's power had failed her, Cass convinced her it was time to leave Pontiac. Andie had been steadily practicing using her telekinesis on small things like moving coffee mugs and opening doors and her accuracy was slowly coming back. She'd kept isolated in her hotel room while Cass continued to tromp about town on search of any more demonic omens. But since the incident with her caped attacker, she hadn't seen or heard a whisper of any demonic activity anywhere in Illinois. That hadn't slowed her down, though, Cass had been getting back in contact with all her hunter buddies to see if they'd heard of any new cases. It was while doing this that she discovered some interesting information about the caped demon that had attacked her.

Andie was looking through what weaponry Sam had left behind when Cass came waltzing into their hotel room looking smug. "You are _not_ going to believe what Jameson told me, Morgan." She said as she shut the door behind her.

"What?" Andie asked, pushing aside the twinge in her stomach that appeared whenever Cass called her by her last name. Dean had done the same, despite Andie's constant protests.

"That demon that attacked me," She slumped into a chair at the table where Andie was working. "Not your regular kinda freak show. That crow we heard? That was the demon; that's how it travels. Well, _traveled_." Cass corrected herself proudly. "Since yours truly slaughtered its ancient hide."

"Get to the point Cass." Andie told her impatiently.

"It was a demon called Raum." Cass told her. "More specifically, a devil. It's old; as in back in the days when demons were brand spankin' new. Jameson said back in the day he was known as the Great Earl of Hell had had thirty legions of demons."

"What was it doing in Pontiac?" Andie asked.

Cass shrugged. "Who knows?" She replied. "But apparently the word is out. All the hunters in this area are heading out of town. There are clusters of electrical storms all Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. I figure we head east to Indiana."

Andie stopped loading her pistol with pure iron bullets and looked at her friend. "Leave?" she repeated.

Cass sighed. "Look, I know you're scared to leave Dean here-"

"I'm not scared." Andie cut in firmly.

"-but we have to go where the action is." Cass finished.

Clicking on the safety of her gun, Andie set it aside and thought a moment. "Fine. When?"

"Today."

**xxx**

Before they left town, Andie just had to make one last trip to Dean's grave. She hadn't been back there since the night they had buried him. Somehow just living in the motel nearby was enough. But now she wasn't only leaving town; she was leaving the state. She figured that warranted a visit.

The grave was less noticeable than it had been. The grass was beginning to grow back atop the mound of dirt that was the grave. The cross had some thin vines growing up it and had been shifted in some of the storms. Andie straightened the cross and then sat before the grave.

"Hi," She muttered. "So…I'm heading to Indiana...for awhile. But good news; I found this report on a soothsayer guy in Kentucky; claims he can travel through time…I might be able to go back and stop this thing from…" Andie hugged her knees to her chest. "Anyway, I just…wanted to say...goodbye; I guess. But just for now…" She looked down at her hands. "Dean; I'll find a way to bring you back…somehow...but I just…" She bit her lip. "I wish you were here." Tears appeared in her eyes. "I miss you so much."

**xxx**

Cass and Andie made it to Indiana in record time. It was storming by the time they arrived at Jameson's warehouse. He was a strange looking man in his early thirties who had an enormous crush on Cassidy. For this reason; he always told her exactly what she needed to know. Cass introduced Andie to him and he set about making them cups of coffee.

"So, Raum?" Cass spoke up as Jameson handed her a mug of coffee. "Great Earl of Hell, huh?"

"Ah, yes." Jameson replied. "Very dangerous back in his day. Could tell all things past, present and future." He tried not to gaze at Cass as he spoke. "It's, um…magnificent that you destroyed him, Cassidy. He was known to kill groups of innocent people at a time…"

"So; why after she killed him did all the demon action stop?" Andie asked.

Jameson shook his head. "I'm not sure…Jameson may have been the leader of a new legion and they may have sensed the two of you and known they couldn't compare."

"Aren't you sweet?" Cass winked at him.

Jameson blushed furiously. "Well…"

"So!" Andie cut in loudly. "Where's the action here?"

"Um, well, the locals are talking about some weird, random fires that are starting all over town." Jameson told her. "And at least one witness at every very says they saw a tall stranger in a cloak fleeing the scene. But each claims they only saw him for a second and then he was gone which made them think perhaps they didn't see him at all."

"Any pattern to the attacks?" Cass asked.

"Well, um," Jameson sifted through the maps that scattered his coffee table and retrieved one that had a few black circles drawn on it in blank ink. "I actually did as you suggested when we last spoke, Cassidy…" he handed her his map.

"Look at you; taking my advice." Cass smiled at him.

"These are all the attacks in town?" Andie asked as she snatched the map from her friends' hands.

"Yes." Jameson nodded. "As you can see; they're starting to form a circle around the centre of town. This was the last place a fire broke out." He pointed to a point on the map. "I've also noted that whoever is starting these fires picks large barns or warehouses as opposed to small family homes."

"They always do." Andie muttered.

"Any ideas on what it is?" Cass asked Jameson.

"A few." He nodded. "But the most likely one for me is a demon called Pruflas. A Prince of Hell. Linked very heavily with Raum and known to move around in flames. He's specializes in creating falsehoods and discord; makes you see and feel things that aren't real."

"How do we get rid of it?" Andie asked.

"You'd have to destroy its human body." Jameson told her. "But to truly send it back to Hell; you'll have to attack his strength with its greatest weakness."

"His greatest strength being…fire?" Cass guessed.

"So; we attack with water." Andie surmised.

"Yes." Jameson confirmed.

"Great; I'll load up some water bombs and we can head out." Cass deadpanned as she got to her feet.

"May I…um," Jameson stood up. "I mean, could I…is…would it be…"

"Spit it out." Andie snapped.

"Yes; you can come." Cass told him. "We'll need you to man the hose." She winked flirtatiously at him. He blushed even harder. "We'll meet ya in the car."

**xxx**

Jameson read from his map in the back of Cass's truck and directed her to one of two places the three of them decided could be the next points of attack for this demon. They were both similar in distance and size and both could easily be the next point in the circle that was forming on the map. The rain had stopped but dark, purplish clouds still hung heavily in the sky as they approached the first barn. It stood on its own about a mile from the farmhouse and had what looked like a large outhouse alongside it.

Cass pulled her truck to a stop and sighed. "Doesn't look like there's anything in there."

"Um, there's something," Jameson pointed between them up towards the roof of the barn. "In the loft."

Andie and Cass both looked at the same time and saw the faintest of flickering orange and yellow lights through the loft window. "Fire." Both women realized simultaneously.

"There." Jameson pointed to the large outhouse. "That's the water piping. Farms hook up their water supply close to the barn so it's easier to tend to their animals." He jumped out of Cass's truck excitedly. "I'll get it ready."

"Great." Cass unhooked her seat belt and reached for her shotgun. "Andie; you help Jameson with the water supply thing."

"No, I'll go." Andie told her.

Cass gave her a look. "Andie; after last time don't you think-"

"Cass; I've got this." Andie assured her as she slid her gun into the back of her jeans. "I've fought demons alone before thousands of time."

"Yeah, but since Dean-" Cass started.

"I'm fine!" Andie snapped a little harsher than she meant to. "You help Jameson; get the hose ready at the front door of the barn and wait for my signal."

"Morgan-"

"Murphy!" Andie cut in. "Go!"

Cass made an annoyed grunt but jumped out of the truck and joined Jameson by the water pipes while Andie summoned up all the courage she could and headed for the barn. She slinked in the side door and took a moment so her eyes could adjust to the light change. She could smell fire in the air as she carefully stepped forwards. There were no animals to be seen, which was strange for a functioning barn but Andie barely had a chance to think about it before a giant fireball from above flew down and landed at her feet. Andie reared back and fell on her behind only to realize that the fireball was in human form. As she stared up at the figure; the flames seemed to be absorbed by the body of a middle-aged man in a full length cloak.

"Aren't you a pretty little thing?" He smiled evilly at her. "What's your name?" Andie waved her hand at the demon but he deflected her attack and nothing happened. "Andrea Morgan…or is it…Andrea Winchester…did you take your husband's name?"

"Shut up!" Andie screamed and tried to use her power again. The demon simply deflected it away as though brushing away an annoying mosquito. "I know who you are; you son of a bitch! Pruflas; I know how to kill you and I'm damn sure gonna enjoy it!"

"A wife shouldn't speak such language around her husband…" Pruflas smirked at her.

"What…" Andie started to say but she stopped when she saw another figure come wandering out of the shadows. Dean. He looked hollow and sad but still exactly the same as the day he'd died.

"Dean." Andie gasped.

"Why did you leave me, Andie?" Dean asked her with angry eyes. "You promised me you'd save me…"

"You're not real." Andie told herself. "This isn't real."

"You said you loved me." Dean told her as furious tears pricked his eyes. "You married me…why did you leave me?!"

"I didn't!" Andie screamed.

Cass kicked her way into the side door of the barn when she heard Andie's screams and saw her friend backing away from an apparently invisible attacker while a demon in a floor length cloak was holding his hand out to her and smirking. "Andie?" The demon snapped his head up and glared at her. He flicked his eyes once and Cass was thrown back into the wall being held up by invisible shackles. "Andie; listen to me! This isn't real! There's nothing there!"

"You did this, Andie," Dean said. As he approached her, scars and cuts started slashing in his arms and across his face as his eyes turned a deathly black. "You killed me! You're the reason I'm in hell! It's your fault!"

"No!" Andie cried.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Dean roared.

"NO!!" Andie screamed at top of her lungs. "You're not real! This isn't real!" She jumped to her feet and faced Dean. "You're not real!" She turned to the demon. "This isn't real!"

"It will be, Andrea, oh, it will be." He told her as he held his hands out to his sides summoning up a scorching fire from nowhere and setting the back of the barn alight.

"Not a chance in hell." Andie growled under her breath. A knife of pure anger stabbed the length of her body as she thrust both of her hands towards Pruflas and gripped his body with her power then forced her arms to her sides tearing the demons' body clean in two.

"Jameson; now!" Cassidy screamed out the open side door.

There was a loud bang as the large doors of the barn cracked open and then Jameson came running in like a hero holding a long hose. He clicked over the nozzle and a fountain of water sprayed out of the house and instantly doused Pruflas, Andie and everything within that barn. The demonic black smoke was seemingly 'caught' by the water and forced down to the dirt before being absorbed by the depths of hell in a smoky mist.

Andie was panting heavily as she finally dropped her arms at her sides. She had never, not once in her twenty-six years of life, separated a body like she just had. The anger that had surged through her; the hatred for that demon in front of her making her see Dean that way, her anger at herself for not being able to save him in the first place, it all contributed to what she'd done. Andie stared at the scorch mark in the dirt and tried to get her breathing under control.

Cass's invisible chains disappeared and she hit the deck but landed on her feet. She bolted over to her friend and cautiously stood in front of her. "Andie?" she ventured carefully. "You ok?"

Andie nodded and straightened her saturated jacket. "Yeah…never better." She replied vaguely.

**xxx**

That night, Cass and Andie stayed in Jameson's second bedroom. Cass fell asleep almost immediately but Andie was awake until she heard the morning birds start singing. She'd been going over what happened in that barn in her mind. Not splitting Pruflas in two; but seeing Dean…yes; it had been a mirage. But it was based on fact; Andie knew it. Dean was being tortured like an animal and she had no way of helping him. Even after a power surge as massive as the one she'd experience that night; Andie felt useless.

**xxx**

Later that morning, Andie was shaken away by Cassidy who was blabbering something about letting her sleep in and telling that they had to get moving and fast. Andie barely heard a word as she got out of bed. "Why are we leaving?" she asked as she tried to stifle a yawn.

"Jameson got a call from Sindi; y'know that hunter chick from Alabama?" Cassidy asked. "I think you met her once; nice enough girl but not into the talking. Anyway; three hunters she knows just turned up dead."

"Dead?" Andie repeated.

Cass nodded. "No one knows why or by who." She shrugged on her jacket. "But a bunch of us are meeting up back in Illinois to check out our numbers."

Andie nodded slowly. By 'us', Cass meant a group of thirty or so hunters she'd made friends with over the years. Andie vaguely knew a few of them but most she just knew by name from Cass. Andie didn't like the 'team' aspect of hunting; it was too dangerous to her. It was why she'd been hesitant to start traveling with Sam and Dean. Cass, on the other hand, felt she benefited from having contacts out there and didn't see the harm of having a back up. Suddenly, Andie realized where Cass said she was going. "Wait; back to Illinois?" They'd just left there; Andie couldn't go back to Dean's grave; not until she could bring him back. How could she? She'd just be reminded of her failure every day. Plus; she still wanted to check out that soothsayer in Kentucky.

"Yeah." Cass said as she gathered up her things in her backpack. "Jameson's coming along for the ride; I figure we should get there before midnight if we leave now…" She saw the look on her friend's face. "You're not going to come, are you?" Andie replied with a pitiful glance. "Andie, a bunch of my friends could be in trouble…" Cass told her. "I have to help them if I can."

"Cass; I need to get Dean back, ok?" Andie snapped. "And I have to Kentucky to do that."

"Do what? Visit some whacko who claims to be able to travel through time?!" Cass shouted. "When have we ever met someone who can actually do that?!"

"I know it's a long shot but that's all I need here." Andie tried to explain.

Cass sighed. "Look…I'm not gonna tell you I know how you feel. Because I don't." she said. "You need to get Dean back? Fine. I need to go help my friends."

"I'm your friend." Andie reminded her.

"What you're feeling; that need to save Dean?" Cass told her. "That's exactly how I feel about helping my friends. That's why I have to go."

Andie sighed. "I know." She muttered.

Cass suddenly threw her arms around her friend and squeezed her tightly. "I know you know."

"I know you know I know." Andie replied as she patted Cass on the back. When she pulled away Cassidy was grasping her hand. After she let go, Andie realized she was holding Cass's truck keys in her hand. "I'm not taking your car."

"Yes you are." Cass told her. "You'll need it to get to Kentucky. She's old but she's reliable. Jameson wants to drive his dingy little station wagon anyway." She smiled. "You need it; I want you to have it."

"Thank you." Andie accepted with a nod.

"If you hurt her I will scratch your eyes out." Cass assured her friend.

"I'm aware of that." Andie smirked.

Andie had a rushed conversation with an over-excited Jameson, presumably because he was spending ten plus hours alone in a car with Cassidy, about the best way to get to Kentucky. He gave her a handful of his maps from his coffee table along with some information he'd collected on both Raum and Pruflas. Andie thanked him; bade them both a safe trip and climbed into Cass's car; but not before her friend removed any valuable items inside. These ranged from her shotgun and her CD's to her lucky penny and a single piece of gum. Andie waited until Jameson and Cassidy were off on the road before she headed in the opposite direction.

It felt bizarre to be driving Cass's truck. It had the same feeling to Andie as had those few times she'd driven the Impala. This feeling that she was somewhere she didn't belong; occupying someone else's space. As she drove out of town; Andie's mind wandered back to her powerful display at the barn the night before. If she could split a man possessed with the strength of an ancient demon Prince of Hell clean in two…then what else was she capable of?

**xxx**


	3. Chapter 3: Losing Grip

**Chapter 3**

_Losing Grip_

_Waste of my time,_ Andie said to herself as she headed across the Kentucky state line. She'd finally tracked down that soothsayer who turned out to be a complete fraud. The second she started talking about demons and hell, "Lincoln" as he called himself, freaked and blurted out his whole scam. Andie had been fuming when she stormed out of there; it was yet another dead end in her so far unrewarding pursuit to bring Dean back. Three months and counting and Andie still hadn't figured out a way to do it. And now without Cass by her side; she was learning to rely on just herself all over again. She was falling back into that pattern that she'd lived as a teenager. She'd been an orphaned street kid from age thirteen until she left Australia at twenty. In those seven years; she'd picked up a lot of useful tools that helped her in her line of work. She learned to move fast and leave no trace, to stand up for and defend herself and to make use of what she had. She'd also learned how to manipulate a person or situation to her advantage. Perhaps not considered a noble technique; but Andie was experienced nonetheless.

Andie was mentally going over her scuffle with Lincoln for the millionth time when her cell phone rang. "Bobby?" she answered after reading the caller ID.

"Hey, kid." Bobby's gruff yet soothing voice replied. "Didn't think ya'd answer…"

"Is everything ok?" Andie asked him.

"Yeah," Bobby said back. "Just checking in...how are you?"

"Peachy." Andie replied.

"_Where _are you?" he pressed.

"Just left Kentucky." She replied as she climbed into her truck.

"You finally left Pontiac." Bobby sounded impressed. "Didn't think that'd ever happen."

"Yeah…well…I'm about to head out of here anyways..." Andie told him quickly. "What about you?"

"I'm only a coupla' days drive away," Bobby told her. "If you wanna visit…"

"Can't." Andie replied. "I gotta keep moving."

Bobby paused before answering. "Are you sure you're alright, kid?" He asked. "You ain't mixed up in anythin'-"

"What?" Andie pressed. "Supernatural? Dangerous? Always."

Bobby sighed heavily. "Look...you talked to Sam recently?"

"Not for a couple of weeks." Andie sighed. "I leave him messages but I know he only replies when he knows I'm not going to answer."

"Yeah, yeah," Bobby agreed. "Well, I talked to him a couple of days ago; he's in Paden City in West Virginia."

Andie furrowed her brow, that wasn't far from where she currently was. "Why is he there?"

"Not sure." Bobby answered. "But if you're near him ya might wanna check in, see how he's doing."

"Yeah, I might just do that…" Andie muttered. "Look; I gotta go."

"Ok…you know you can call if you're in a jam." he reminded her.

"Thanks, Bobby, I'll keep that in mind." Andie answered. "I gotta go."

"Keep safe." He told her firmly.

"Yeah." She replied vaguely as she hung up her phone. Without a thought, Andie pressed her foot on the accelerator and sped off. She drove along the empty highway she focused her mind on Sam. If she wanted to find him, all she had to do was think. She couldn't control this power as well as she could her telekinesis but she knew if she focused enough on a subject; she'd be able to find out where they were.

**xxx**

Paden City was a sweet little town. Why Sam chose to go there, Andie didn't know. But she figured she'd ask when she found him. It wasn't as difficult as she thought to actually tack him down. The town only had five motels and the Impala was gleaming in front of the second one she passed. Andie parked Cass's truck beside it and headed for the front door. "Housekeeping." She hollered in as ethnic a voice she could muster.

"Just a sec!" A familiar voice called back to her.

"Hi, Sam." She said with the smallest of smiles when he opened the door.

"Andie." He grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her into his chest. "It's good to see ya."

"Yeah; you too." Andie replied.

"What're you doing here?" He asked as he pulled away from her. "Is everything ok?"

"You tell me." She glanced over Sam's shoulder and spotted a short brunette coming into view. She was about the same height as Cassidy but her hair was longer and her eyes had a hollowness to them that made Andie immediately suspicious of her.

"Sam?" The brunette called.

"Oh, ah, Andie, this-this is, um," He pulled Andie into the room and shut the door behind her. "This is…ah…"

"Kayla." The brunette answered. "And you are?"

"Sam's wife." Andie answered as she made a beeline for the open mini-bar on the table.

"She's my friend," Sam told Kayla. "My...sister-in-law, I guess." He gave Kayla her jacket and directed her out the door. "I'll, ah, I'll call you." He shut the door behind her and held his arms out at his sides to Andie. "What's going on?"

"You haven't called." Andie answered as she located a tiny bottle of vodka and snapped off the lid. "Wanted to make sure you were still breathing." She took a large sip from the bottle. "Who's the chick?"

"Just…some girl." Sam answered vaguely as he rubbed the back of his neck. Then outside the window he spotted the familiar looking truck park beside the Impala. "Cass's truck…is she here?" He asked.

Andie shook her head and swallowed down another gulp of alcohol. The bottle was now nearly empty; damn mini-bars. "She had to go one way; I had to go the other and she was sweet enough to lend me her ride."

"Well, a call woulda been nice," Sam told her as he sat heavily on his bed. "To let me know you were coming."

"You don't answer your phone," Andie snapped back. "I assumed you didn't wanna talk. Hence why I popped in." She finished the last of her tiny vodka and tossed it in the wastebasket beside the table.

"I take it you haven't found anything useful." Sam assumed as he watched Andie reach for another drink.

"No." Andie admitted as she opened her second min-vodka. "But looks like you've been keeping busy." She jeered her head towards the door indicating the petite brunette who'd just left them.

"Keira's just a friend." Sam told her bitterly.

"Keira?" Andie repeated.

"Kayla; whatever." Sam recovered quickly. "But I've been looking, Andie." He assured her. "Seems like every possible solution I find to bring Dean back won't work because of who he is."

Andie sighed. "Hell does seem to covet it's Winchesters." She agreed. Then she told him all about Lincoln in Kentucky. "I keep running into fraudulent idiots." She finished. "Or these ancient demons that keep popping up." She added rolling her eyes.

Sam furrowed his brow. "Ancient demons?" he repeated.

Andie nodded. "Raum and Pruflas so far." She shrugged. "But they're old. Cass took one out; I got the second. Same demonic omens; electrical storms, dead livestock, the usual," she explained. "I picked up a few more signs after I left Lincoln and then Bobby told me you were out this way; figured why not kill two birds with one stone?"

"Funny you should say that," Sam reached for some papers on the bedside table. "I've been tracking a demon, too. And if you're omens led you here it's probably the same one."

"Do you know what it is?" Andie asked.

"Ah, yeah…" Sam scanned for the paper he was looking for. "Nelchael. Good Angel turned bad."

"Angel?" Andie said back as she joined Sam on his bed. "As in an _Angel_, Angel?"

"Dunno." Sam handed her the information he'd found. "But back in his time he was known as a protector against oppression and unfavourable spirits." He informed her. "But at some point along the way, he became a Fallen Angel and was said to reside in Hell."

"How'd he get out?" Andie asked glancing over the paperwork.

"He was let out." Sam told her. "By Lilith."

Andie raised her eyebrows and looked over at him. "Lilith? Why?"

Sam shrugged. "Haven't figured that out yet but I wanna take down Nelchael before Lilith has a chance to use him."

"Sounds good to me." Andie got to her feet. "You got a location?"

"Yeah, just out of town," Sam said cautiously as he, too, stood up. "I was gonna head there tonight but…"

"Oh, I'm coming with you." Andie assured him. "So? You're car or mine?" she asked; the irony not lost on either of them that technically they both weren't the owners of their respective cars.

**xxx**

Sam and Andie ended up taking the Impala. Andie tried to act like she wasn't perturbed by being in Dean's car again and Sam seemed to buy it, but truth was it was making her crazy. The car smelled and felt like Dean and even the slight changes Sam had made seemed sacrilegious to Andie. Dean's cassette tapes were gone and in their place Sam had installed an iPod dock plus the car was generally cleaner than it had been. Andie had rarely sat in the passenger's seat; just on those occasions Sam wasn't in the car.

"So…how've you been?" Sam asked eventually as they drove along.

"Fine." Andie answered.

"No, really." Sam pressed.

"Really?" Andie repeated. "Well, _really_, it's been Hell, Sam."

"Yeah, well, it's not exactly been the best time of my life either!" He snapped back.

"And whose fault is that?" Andie hit back. "Sam, I tried calling you and you wouldn't answer me."

"I didn't wanna talk, ok?!" He yelled.

"Why not?" Andie yelped. "I know you remember what happened back at the Mystery Spot; when Dean kept dying over and over? You and I worked together when the Trickster had him die for real. We fought together." She reminded him. "_You_ are the one who wanted to go off on your own."

"Oh, that's really rich coming from you, Andie." Sam retorted. "How long were you with Cass before you ran off?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

"We are _not_ talking about me." Andie told him firmly.

"Right; we're never allowed to talk about you, are we?" Sam sneered as he gripped the steering wheel even tighter. "No, Andie's past is too dark, Andie doesn't wanna talk about her life so we should stop asking Andie questions!"

"Oh, shut up, Sam!" She hollered.

"No, I will not shut up!" Sam screamed. "Don't tell me that you want us to start working together, I know that you don't! You want to be on your own! Hell; you've been on your own your whole life! That's all you know!"

"You don't know me, Sam!" Andie found herself yelling.

"I know you better than you think I do! You feel exactly the same way I do right now!" Sam cried. "Dean's dead! And it left a hole in your heart! And it hurts so bad you can't take it! So you run away from everyone that wants to help you!" He pulled the car off the road and headed down a dirt driveway.

"Run away?" Andie repeated with a scoff. "I'm trying to find a way to bring your brother back!"

"Yeah; well," Sam spluttered. "So am I!"

"Then why are we yelling?!" Andie hollered.

"I dunno!" Sam yelled back. He slammed the breaks and pulled the Impala up to the side of a large barn. "We're here." He mumbled as he climbed out of the car.

Andie exhaled loudly and got out of the passengers side. She noticed a glint of metal on Sam's back as he walked into the moonlight. "What is that?" She asked.

Sam turned and saw her pointing at his backside. "Oh," He removed Ruby's demonic knife from his jeans waistband. "The knife." He told her.

"You're using it?" Andie raised her eyebrows.

"It comes in handy." He shrugged as the two of them neared the barn.

"Sam?" A voice called from beside them.

Andie turned and saw Kayla leaning against the shell of an old car. "What are you doing here?" She asked, wondering why she hadn't seen her before.

"Here to help." She smiled sweetly.

"Sam; get rid of her," Andie snapped under her breath as she pulled Sam aside. "No demon fighting with civilians; have you forgotten already?"

"Do not speak unless spoken to!" A voice roared from up above them.

Andie, Sam and Kayla all looked up to see a man in dressed in a slate gray suit staring down at them from the top of the barn. He took a step off the roof and floated swiftly down to the ground landing safely on his feet. Andie thrust her hands at him to use her power but Nelchael held up just one finger and stopped her. "Tut-tut." He said waving his finger back and forth. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to attack an Angel?" He then pushed his palm out towards her knocking her off her feet and sending her halfway down the driveway.

Sam readied the knife to stab the Angel but on his first swipe, Nelchael grabbed his wrist and punched him in the gut. The force of his punch sent Sam the same way as Andie. She was already on her feet and running back as Nelchael set his sights on Kayla.

"Ruby; look out!" Sam called to Kayla.

"Ruby?" Andie repeated loudly; stopping in her tracks. "Oh, hell no!" She turned back to Sam. "Tell me you're kidding!" She yelled.

While she was distracted, Nelchael managed to get an arm around the back of her neck and kicked her knees out from under her. "Did you say your prayers?" He whispered gruffly in her ear. "Did you pray for Dean again?"

"Bite me." Andie growled back under her breath. Then she elbowed Nelchael twice in the solar plexus and he loosened his grip. Andie wretched herself out of his grasp and spun around in time to kick him to the ground before he rose. "Sam!" She called to her friend.

Knife in hand, Sam aimed and threw it at Andie. She caught it and stabbed Nelchael in the heart. She panted heavily trying to catch her breath as the demon evaporated into the floor surrounded in black smoke leaving a decaying corpse in its wake. Glaring, Andie looked up and approached the now stoic brunette. "So…Ruby…"She said as she neared her. "You avoided Hell…aren't you lucky?"

"Look, Andie," Sam started as he stood between the two women. "She's helping me, ok?"

"Oh, I'll be she is." Andie snarled. "Where'd ya pick up the new body?" She asked Ruby. "Whorier than your last one. Weaker, too."

"Oh, Andie…why so glum?" Ruby sneered; her evil eyes glinting in the moonlight. "You don't love being all alone and on the road again? Strange how even though your mummy died when you were a kid; you're still living out her life. Demon hunter; your husband dies...is that depression setting in?"

"Hey!" Sam snapped at Ruby, silencing her with a steely glare. "Can you just get him out of here?" he nodded down to the dead body.

"Fine." Ruby replied scooping up the body over her shoulder.

Andie raised her eyebrows. "Your bitch listens to you?" she asked. "You must be a good pimp."

"It's not what you think." Sam said with a shrug. "She really is helping me. She...she saved me..."

Andie closed her eyes. "Sam…" But she thought better and just shook her head. "Forget it; if you wanna shack up with a demon I'm not going to waste my time telling you how stupid this is!" She turned and headed away.

"Andie!" Sam called after her.

"Don't die, Sam." She snapped over her shoulder as she bundled her coat around her body and stormed away.

**xxx**

Andie hitched a ride back into town, picked up her truck and then got out of there as fast as she could. She drove until just after midnight before stopping at a little motel off the highway and checking in. In her mind she was going over her argument with Sam. The two of them had never had problems before; they'd always got along. But now without Dean around the tension was high. They both missed him and didn't know how to express it. Andie showered; washed her clothes in the bathroom sink and hung them up on the clothesline string in the shower before heading to bed.

Sighing, Andie rolled onto her back and closed her eyes. She'd barely had them shut for a minute when she heard what sounded like a large bird flapping its wings. She quickly opened her eyes and rolled over. But she didn't see a bird or even a demon. It was a man. He had brown hair, blue eyes and wore a blank but somewhat peaceful expression. Andie immediately put her guard up and scrambled out of her bed to her feet. "Who are you?" She demanded feeling quite exposed in just her singlet and boxer shorts.

"Castiel." He answered in an even, calm voice.

"_What_ are you?" Andie asked.

"I'm an Angel of the Lord." He replied.

"An Angel?" Andie scoffed. "Where are your wings? The harp? The halo?"

"I'm not that kind of Angel." Castiel replied.

"I figured." Andie retorted. "You here 'cos I killed your buddy?"

"Nelchael is no longer on our side. At his peak he was a great protector against oppression and unfavourable spirits." Castiel told her. "But that was long ago; before he became a Fallen Angel. You destroyed him. "

"You're welcome." Andie deadpanned. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to help you." Castiel told her.

"Help me?" Andie repeated sarcastically. "What, is this some kinda angelic intervention?" she laughed. "What on earth do I need _your_ help with?"

"I can get Dean out of Hell." He said simply.

The smile vanished from Andie's face. "Why would you do that?" she asked.

"Because his brother needs him." Castiel took a step towards her.

"Sam?" Andie's heart filled with fear. "Is he ok? What happened? What do you-"

"He's fine." Castiel cut in. "For now."

"Then…why?" She asked. "Why come to me? What can _I _do?"

"You don't see the pattern here, Andie?" Castiel asked her. "The order these demons are coming to power? It's not coincidence. Raum, Pruflas, Nelchael; they were just the first. There will be more."

"Who's bringing them back?" Andie asked carefully.

"Lilith." Castiel said. "She's breaking the 66 seals of Hell; think of them as locks on a door. The more she breaks," He took another step toward Andie. "The closer she gets to bringing forth the apocalypse."

A fear started to crawl through Andie's veins. "So these demons I've been fighting…they're part of the apocalypse?"

"The Hierarchy of Devils." Castiel told her. "Every demon you've fought was a Leader in the Order of the Throne. Raum was the tenth in the Order, Pruflas the ninth and Nelchael the eighth. Lilith is bringing them back to command from least powerful to most powerful; that's the only way to do it. But the faster you kill them; the sooner they get here."

"Wait, so…if Lilith is bringing them back in order," Andie said slowly. "Whose number one? Who's the Head of the throne?"

"Lucifer." Castiel said.

"Lucifer." Andie repeated slowly. "As in the Devil."

"Yes." Castiel confirmed. "Breaking the 66 seals will also set him free."

Andie was confused. "Then why is she resurrecting the Hierarchy?" she asked. "Why not just break the seals?"

"Because of you, Andie." Castiel said. "You're doing the work for her. If you defeat every member of the Order of the Throne; Lucifer walks free no matter what seals Lilith is yet to break." Castiel informed her. "She's toying with you. Distracting you. She assumes a selfless hunter like you wouldn't flinch when confronted by a demon. You destroy the order; she gets what she wants a hell of a lot quicker." He looked at her intently. "To stop her plan; you'll have to stop trusting your first instinct to kill every threat that crosses your path."

"Wait, so you're telling me I have to let these Hierarchy demons live?" Andie couldn't believe her ears. "Demons that are killing and possessing innocent people; I'm just s'posed to turn my back on them?"

"Unless you want Lucifer roaming free." Castiel replied dryly.

Andie looked down at her feet. "I can't do what you're asking me to do." She mumbled.

"We will meet again." Castiel said.

When Andie looked up; he was gone.

**xxx**


	4. Chapter 4: Bring Me To Life

**Chapter 4**

_Bring Me To Life_

Armed with the information that every ancient demon she killed would bring Lilith one step closer to her beloved apocalypse, Andie found herself in a limbo she really didn't care for. Especially when she tracked the next demon in the Order of the Throne, Murmur, to Coldwater in Michigan. With the information Castiel had given Andie about the Order as well as the Hierarchy of Devils, she was able to do more thorough research. Murmur was seventh in the order and was known for bringing the souls of the dead back to torment the living. So far she was taking Castiel's advice and hadn't moved in on the demon yet. But now the anxiety was setting in. To be that close to a demon she knew was dangerous and _not_ chase after it.

To occupy her time she'd been researching the Hierarchy of Devils and know knew in what order Lilith would bring these demons back and what each one was capable of. She also knew exactly how to kill them. As well as that; she'd also gotten herself a protective tattoo, the same one the Winchesters had on their chests near their hearts. A pentagram surrounded in sun rays. Andie had it tattooed on her left shoulder blade. It was her first tattoo and she wasn't sure it would be her last. She liked the idea of branding her body with a memory. And in this case; it also kept her from being possessed.

But eventually Andie got restless just sitting around knowing there was a demon out there that she wasn't supposed to kill. She knew what would happen if she didn't use her power soon; it'd weaken like it had with Cass just after Dean died. She'd almost lost her best friend because she hadn't kept up flexing her powers. And with no word from Castiel, Andie took that as a sign and was heading straight towards Murmur. She packed quickly and checked out of her room then realized she'd left her keys on the nightstand so she jogged back up to her room. But now she wasn't alone.

"Andie." Castiel greeted her as he arose off the end of her bed.

"I'm going after that demon and you can't stop me." Andie replied immediately. "Who knows how many people it's killed while I've just been sitting her doing nothing."

"So you want Lucifer out of hell?" Castiel asked sarcastically.

"Oh, shove it." Andie snapped back. "What are you waiting for?"

"Excuse me?" Castiel asked in that calm yet authoritative tone.

"You said you could bring Dean back." Andie held her hands out expectantly. "So? Bring him back."

"It doesn't work like that." Castiel told her.

Andie laughed out loud. "Of course it doesn't. Because why would you say you could do something and then not do it?" She sighed. "So…is this the part where you tell me when he comes back he'll be different?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Half demonic? A ghost? Have no memory of who I am? Cos I gotta tell ya, if he's not coming back as Dean then I don't want him back."

"Understand this, Andie." Castiel said firmly. "Dean is _not_ coming back for you. I am not doing this for _you_. It isn't about what _you_ want, Andie." He assured her. "It's about what needs to happen."

"Yeah," Andie exhaled. "Well, forgive me if I don't start jumping up and down screaming 'thank the good Lord' but you have done _nothing_ to make me believe you can actually do what you claim you can."

"I don't have to prove myself to you." Castiel replied.

"Yes you do if you're going to make me stop hunting these Order of the Throne demons." Andie retorted.

"You kill these demons; Lucifer walks out of hell." Castiel told her. "And with him he'll bring the apocalypse." He stood nose to nose with her. "You kill these demons; and you're helping them."

Andie closed her eyes to compose herself then opened her mouth to shout a loud, censorable retort but when she looked up, Castiel was gone. She hollered the retort to herself and slammed the closest thing nearby, which was a cupboard door, as hard as she could. She didn't know what to do. Listen to Castiel and get Dean back or let innocent people die. Breathing heavily she lay down on her bed. If she went with Castiel's plan and stopped fighting these Order of the Throne demons; more and more people would get hurt. She couldn't let that happen. Plus she had no guarantee that Castiel could even bring Dean back.

That was until a week later when she got a call from Dean.

**xxx**

_Screams. _

_Blood._

_Death._

And finally Dean woke up. He coughed and spluttered trying to breathe in some clean air; but all the air around him was stale. Shifting where he laid a few times, Dean knew he was in a coffin; pine from the smell of it. He felt around his jeans pockets and found a lighter. The light was weak but enough to prove his point; he was definitely underground. But if Sam had buried him in a pine box, Dean hoped that meant he'd been preparing for Dean's return and hopefully hadn't buried him the full six feet under. It took a few swift punches for Dean to push through the coffin and break into the dirt. He reached up as far as he could and was filled with relief when his fingers broke free of the ground. Dean used whatever strength he could find to heave his body out of that box and through the earth back into the sunlight. When his head broke the surface he gasped a huge gulp of fresh air, coughing at its purity. He squirmed out of the dirt and across the ground with his chest heaving as his body breathed once more. Dean got to his feet and glanced at his surroundings. It was shocking. Every tree was uprooted and facing away from the grave; like a bomb had gone off or something.

Dean walked for about a half hour along a disused road until he came across an unmanned gas station. There was no one in sight so he broke in and helped himself to food, water and their porn collection. He caught sight of his reflection and was stunned to see how good he looked. He'd been eaten alive by Hellhounds; he should have skin hanging off his bones. But he didn't. He looked exactly the same, if not better, than the day he'd died. Something tingled on his left shoulder when he moved so Dean lifted his sleeve and found what looked like a hand print burned into his skin; like something had grabbed him tight.

Dean was inspecting the cash register when a loud ringing noise caught his ear; it reminded him of that noise he often heard when getting out of the Impala after two or three hours of high volume rock and roll. But this noise kept rising in strength. It was so high Dean had to cover his ears. But even that didn't staunch the sound. The windows around him shattered and crashed all around him at the sheer pitch of the noise. Dean ducked behind the counter and pressed his hands over his ears as hard as he could. When he thought he'd gone deaf; he realized the sound was gone.

Dean hurriedly took his stolen booty outside and made his way to the payphone. He first dialed Sam's number and got a voice recording telling him the number had been cut off. Dean recycled the quarter and dialed another number.

Andie had been packing up her truck to leave town when her cell phone rang. She didn't recognize the number but answered anyway. "Yeah?"

"Andie?" Dean's gravelly voice said back to her.

"Well, you know my name so what's yours?" She asked bitterly, tossing her bag through the open window onto the passenger's seat.

"It's me." Dean said. "Dean." His name was met with the sound of her hanging up on him. Still hopeful; Dean reinserted the quarter and hit redial.

"Who is this?!" Andie yelped when she answered.

"Morgan; it's really me." Dean tried to explain. "I know this is crazy-"

"Call me again and I'll hunt you down; I swear to God." Andie snarled into her phone.

"Good, 'cause I have no idea where I am." Dean's voice replied. "I'm in the middle of no-"

"Don't ever call this number again." Andie hung up a second time.

Dean dialed again but was met with an automated voice telling him the phone was turned off. Sighing, Dean called Bobby and was met with a similar response to Andie. Realizing that the only way he was going to get them to believe he was alive was if he did it in person, Dean exited the phone booth and hotwired and abandoned, miserable looking car before heading off for Bobby's place.

**xxx**

It didn't take Dean as long as he'd thought it would to convince Bobby that he was back. However he did have to cut himself with an iron knife and be doused in holy water to prove it. He was just grateful to finally have someone on his side again.

"That don't make a lick of sense." Bobby was saying. He walked through his living room and sat at his desk.

"Yeah, you're preaching to the choir." Dean agreed as the toweled holy water off his face.

"Dean, your chest was ribbons," Bobby reminded him. "Your insides were slop, and you've been buried four months, even if you could slip out of hell and back into your meat suit-"

"I know, I should look like a Thriller video reject." Dean agreed.

Bobby sighed. "What do you remember?"

"Not much," Dean admitted. "I remember I was a Hellhound's chew toy…Sam screaming…Andie crying…and then lights out," He shrugged. "Then I come to six feet under, that's was it." He paused. "Sam's number's not working, he's uh...he's not-?"

"Oh, he's alive, as far as I know." Bobby assured him.

"Good...wait, what do you mean as far as you know?" Dean asked wide eyed.

"I haven't talked to him for months." Bobby confessed.

"You're kidding, you just let him go off by himself?" Dean snapped.

"He was dead set on it." Bobby told him.

"Bobby, you should have been looking after him-" Dean argued.

Bobby stood up to face Dean. "I tried, these last months haven't been exactly easy you know. For him, Andie or me...we had to bury you."

"Andie…" Dean vividly recalled their phone call. "She's not with Sam?"

Bobby shook his head. "Nope. Sam left Pontiac the day after we buried ya; Andie stayed behind. For quite awhile, too." He sighed. "I spoke to her once or twice but," He frowned. "She's not much into the talking anymore."

"I tried to call her." Dean admitted. "She didn't believe it was me."

"Well, she wouldn't." Bobby confirmed. "She's been seeing shapeshifters and demons taking on your form for months; she knows better than to trust a voice on a phone."

"Why did you bury me anyway?" Dean asked.

"I wanted you salted and burned, the usual drill, but Sam wouldn't have it." Bobby explained.

"Well, I'm glad he won that one." Dean muttered.

"He said you'd need a body when he got you back home somehow, that's about all he said." Bobby informed him.

Dean furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

Bobby started pacing. "He was quiet...real quiet. Argued with Andie about her not coming with him then, he just took off, wouldn't return my calls; her's either. I tried to find him, but he don't want to be found."

"Aw dammit Sammy!" Dean cursed his brother and rubbed his temple. "Oh, he got me home okay, but whatever he did it is bad mojo."

"What makes you so sure?" Bobby asked.

"You should have seen the grave site; it was like a nuke went off." Dean told him. "Then there was this…this force, this presence. I don't know but it blew past me at a fill up joint. And then this." He pulled up the arm of his shirt and showed Bobby the hand print on his left shoulder.

Bobby looked shocked. "What in the hell?" He cursed as he walked over and inspected the print more closely.

"Yeah, it's like a demon just yanked me out. Or rode me out…" Dean mused; he didn't like the sound of either of those options.

"But why?" Bobby asked.

"To hold up their end of the bargain." Dean sighed.

"You think Sam made a deal?" Bobby asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well, Andie's tried and they won't take hers." Dean shrugged. "And it's what I would have done."

**xxx**

Dean managed to track down Sam's phone using the GPS and a fake name he knew he'd use. After they reunited and Sam tried to get his head around everything; the two brothers and Bobby set about trying to find out who'd brought Dean out of Hell and why.

"Andie, Andie," Sam was saying into his phone. "Just come; ok?...Because I asked you." He paused. "It is too a good reason….just do it." He hung up. "Man; you cannot talk over that woman." He sighed. "But she's coming."

"So…you've talked to her since what happened?" Dean asked. "How is she? She ok?"

"Haven't seen her in a month or so." Sam admitted. "But we need to talk about you right now."

They spent the next half hour or so discussing what Dean remembered of Hell and what possibly could have dragged him out. It took Sam awhile to convince Dean that he hadn't done anything to bring him back from hell. "I tried everything, that's the truth." He admitted painfully. "I tried opening the Devil's Gate, hell, I tried to bargain Dean, but no demon would deal all right? You were rotting in hell, for months- for months and I couldn't stop it." He had to stop and catch his breath. "So I'm sorry it wasn't me all right? Dean, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Sammy." Dean told him in a calm voice. "You don't have to apologize, I believe you."

"Don't get me wrong, I am gladdened that Sam's soul remains intact, but that does raise a sticky question." Bobby spoke up.

"If he didn't pull me out than what did?" Dean sighed. "You don't think Andie did something?"

Sam shrugged. "Last time I spoke to her she said nothing she tried was working."

"What was she trying?" Dean asked.

"Everything, I guess." Sam shrugged again. "I don't know, Dean, she's not exactly the easiest person to talk to these days. Seems like every time she opened her mouth she had some kinda of insult for me; easier not to argue." He turned to Bobby. "So how we gonna find out what broke Dean free?"

"Well, I-" Bobby started but was interrupted when someone came stamping into the room.

"This better be good, Sam, cos my New York road trip is at stake…" Andie hollered as she came into Sam's motel room. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Dean.

Dean got to his feet the second she walked in. She looked the same but yet so different. Her hair was darker; almost black, but her face was the same. Her expression was shocked and blank at the same time. She wore figure hugging dark denim jeans and a black tank top with a leather jacket over the top. She had healing cuts and bruises around her neck and her hands and her eyes bore evidence of many a night's restless sleep. Dean also noticed the glint of her wedding ring still on her finger. "Andie." He smiled at her and took a step in her direction.

Andie took a huge step backwards. Her eyes welled with tears but she didn't cry; she wouldn't cry.

"I know; it's crazy, Andie," Sam spoke up. "But it's Dean; I promise."

Andie didn't take her eyes of Dean but she didn't say a word.

"Andie…" Dean took another step towards her but she just kept backing away.

"Is this it?" She asked Sam with raised eyebrows. "This all you wanted me for?"

Sam, confused by what she meant, simply nodded.

"Ok." She turned on her heel and left the apartment.

"Andie!" Sam called after her but she pretended not to hear him.

Completely confused, Dean turned back to his brother. "What's wrong with her?"

Sam shook his head. "I dunno…" He knew Andie had been hit hard by Dean's death; so had he. But he was relieved to have his brother back. He couldn't understand why Andie wouldn't be.

"Is she…" Dean started. "I mean, did she seem a little…is she mad at me?" he asked.

Sam frowned and shrugged. "For dying? No…couldn't be. She's probably just freaked. I'm still having a hard time with it."

"I'm sure she'll come 'round." Bobby spoke up. "Meantime, we got a pile of questions and no shovel, we need help. I know a psychic, few hours from here. Something this big? Maybe she's heard the other side talking."

"What about Andie?" Dean asked hopefully.

"I'll call her." Bobby offered; but he sounded skeptical. "But I dunno how happy she's gonna be to meet up with her dead husband, his brother, me and my psychic friend."

"Maybe I could-" Dean began.

"No." Sam cut in. "You saw her storm outta here; you are the last person she'll listen to."

"Come on, she's my wife," Dean chuckled trying to lighten the mood. "She can't stay mad at me forever, right?" He looked to Bobby and Sam for support. "Right?"

**xxx**


	5. Chapter 5: She's Lost Inside

**Chapter 5**

_She's Lost Inside_

**one week ago**

Andie had been researching into the Hierarchy of Demons further when Castiel had appeared in her kitchen. He didn't say much; just that Murmur was targeting a church on the border of the state; which meant he was heading towards Lilith and Andie needed to take him out. Thankful for the permission, although spewing that she was taken orders from someone (and an Angel nonetheless), Andie packed up and headed out of town.

Cass's truck was driving a lot better than it had been before. Andie had had to change the transmission fluid and wasn't all that versed in car engines; bikes were her thing. But once she figured it out; the car seemed to thank her for it. It was prone to stalling and hadn't done since its transmission transfusion. Andie had also cleaned out the trailer of the truck and found a bunch of useless crap. Shell casings, wooden stakes, metal pipes, basically all scrap things Cass had seen along the road while driving and convinced herself she needed because they'd be useful later. With the amount of dust coating each item; Andie knew her friend had never found that use. The one thing she did find, however, was an iron dagger. She vaguely remembered when Cassidy had bought it; during two weeks they'd spent in Tijuana. Although Andie's memories of that fortnight were a little fuzzy; the pair had travelled there after Cass finally left home to celebrate her taking her life in the supernatural hunting direction. Celebrate to Cass often, if not always, meant lots of liquor. The knife was handmade, from what Andie remembered, and apparently cursed which was why Cass had bought it; eager to dispel the myth. They didn't; it just seemed like a regular, iron bladed knife. Unusual though; most knives were made from steel. This led Andie to believe perhaps it was made for a hunter; demons being strangely allergic to the pure metal of iron. Either way; when Andie found the knife in the back of Cass's truck; she pocketed it. It was bound to come in handy.

When Andie got to the church, she slid the knife into the back of her belt and headed inside. She'd never been the church-going kind of person, nor had her family when they were in Australia, preferring to keep their beliefs within their own minds. Towards the end of her life, Andie recalled her mother, Lily, claiming that churches were for conformists and they were out to get her. But at that time Lily had thought everything was out to get her.

Once inside the church, Andie senses pricked up. Something was wrong. And not in the way she was expecting. There was a church service going on. A christening, if the screaming infant whose head was being sprinkled with water was anything to go by. There was no danger, no demon; just a bunch of happily tearful relatives in fancy clothes. Furrowing her brow, Andie exited the church and for the first time realized how bright the sun was; nothing like the normal, unseasonal electric storms that seemed to follow demons around.

Andie took a quick drive through of the neighborhood; asking a handful of people if anything strange had been happening in town lately like random deaths, livestock numbers dwindling and, of course, the storms. But all she got were friendly smiles and the phrase 'Nothing strange ever goes on here.'. Andie grabbed a copy of the local newspapers and found nothing remotely interesting or even supernatural-esq. She tossed the newspaper into her passengers seat and started to believe it was very likely she'd just been sent on a wild goose chase.

When she arrived back at her hotel room, Andie was both annoyed and relieved to see Castiel standing still as a statue next to her bed. Relieved, because she could confront him."You lied to me." Andie said with a shaky voice.

"Correct." Castiel replied.

"I'm going to kill you." She grabbed her knife from her belt and gripped it firmly.

"Not wise." Castiel said, not at all perturbed by Andie advancing on him.

"Why?" Andie asked him still holding the knife tight. "Why did you lie to me?"

"I had to." Castiel replied in that strong yet blank expression he always seemed to convey. "Murmur was coming for you, Andie."

"What?" Andie couldn't keep up with him sometimes. "Why?'"

"Well, you went to kill him, did you not?" Castiel asked. "I don't know how far you got in your," He gestured to her papers and files on the Hierarchy of Devils. "Research. But Murmur has the ability to read minds from miles away. As his name suggests; he hears them as whispers; almost like background noise. He sensed your intentions the minute you followed him into town."

"So why didn't you just tell me this?" Andie shrugged as a ball of anger rose in her throat. "Why send me to the end of the state line?!"

"To save you." Castiel said; his voice as even and calm as ever. "Murmur came here for you. You weren't here. He couldn't sense you. He left."

Andie tossed her head back and laughed without a trace of humor. "Fantastic. God, I love hiding from demons. And to have an Angel covering me," She let out a low whistle. "What a lucky girl I am."

"Would you rather I let him find you?" Castiel asked.

"What do I care?" Andie shrugged. "I can't die; remember? Or do you not know that about me?"

"Know that the love and power of your family line keeps you safe from demons attacks? Know that this safety net only expires when you deliver a child, a daughter of your own, to carry on your family's fight?" Castiel had the hint of a smirk on his face. "No; never got a whiff of that."

"That's funny." Andie sneered.

"Murmur wasn't going to kill you, Andie." Castiel told her firmly. "He was going to take you with him. To Lilith. And that can't happen. You're too important."

Andie sighed. "Ok; now you're really not making sense." The ball of anger exploded in her throat. "You said by killing these hierarchy demons I was inadvertently helping Lilith; so she didn't have to break 66 seals!" Andie yelled. "You said that she could sit back and watch me kill them; do all the work for her so Lucifer would walk free! Now you're telling me she wants me?! Why?!"

"Her reasons remain unclear." Castiel admitted. "But I know that is what Murmur asked of her; the same way I know about your inability to be killed."

"Look, I'm done with this, alright?" Andie threw her hands up at him. "Every time you say something it contradicts something else you've said; you're like a walking, talking Bible."

Castiel's face grew stern. "You need to listen to me-"

"Right, 'cos you can bring Dean back?" Andie said sarcastically. "My ass. If you could; you would have. Now you're just using it as leverage to get me to do what you want."

"Not true." Castiel assured her.

"True." Andie countered. "You lied. And you haven't done a thing you said you would so how am I supposed to believe anything else you say? As far as I'm concerned you made it all up."

"Why would I do that?" Castiel asked, sounding very interested.

Andie shrugged. "Maybe you want me out of the way? Maybe you're Lilith dressed as a dude?" She offered.

"It wouldn't be wise for you to make an enemy of me, Andie." Castiel warned her.

"That a threat?" Andie raised her eyebrows and tightened her grip on her knife.

"A suggestion." Castiel replied.

Andie scoffed and looked away, prepping her retort, but he was gone by the time she looked up.

**xxx**

**present day**

"Maybe I pissed her off; did I piss her off?" Dean asked his brother and he got reacquainted with his beloved car on the drive to Pamela's Barnes' house.

"You pissed her off on a daily basis before you went to hell," Sam reminded him. "What'd be different now?"

Dean sighed. "I dunno...she looked...different. Angry."

"She was like that when we met her, remember?" Sam told his brother.

"So, what, her reaction to good news is to get pissed and walk away?" He scoffed. "Come on."

"Like I said; I dunno." Sam said again.

The brothers followed Bobby to Pamela Barnes' house. She lived in a modest one-level home that didn't really scream psychic. Neither did she. Pamela was about a head shorter than Bobby with wavy brown hair and wide, stunning smile. She grinned happily when she saw Bobby on her doorstep.

"Ha ha ha, Bobby!" She gave him a huge bear hug and even lifted him off the ground.

"You're a sight for sore eyes." Bobby replied.

"So, are these the boys?" She put her hands on her hips and glanced over the brothers.

"Sam, Dean, Pamela Barnes, best damn psychic in the state." Bobby introduced them.

"Mm-mm-mmm." She checked the boys out. "Dean Winchester. Out of the fire and back in the frying pan, huh?" She smiled. "That makes you a rare individual."

"If you say so." Dean replied with a smirk.

"Come on in." She stepped aside letting her guests in then shut the door behind them.

"So, you hear anything?" Bobby asked.

"Well, I Ouija-ed my way through a dozen spirits." Pamela shrugged. "No one seems to know who broke your boy out or why."

"So what's next?" Bobby asked.

"A seance I think." Pamela said. "See if we can see who did the deed."

"You're not gonna summon the damn thing here?" Bobby sounded a little panicked.

"No, I just wanna get a sneak peek at it." Pamela assured him. "Like a crystal ball without the crystal." She walked past the boys into her living room.

"I'm game." Dean spoke up.

"Good." Pamela smiled. "Oh, by the way, your friend is already here."

"Friend?" Dean repeated. He was too busy checking out Pamela, who had bent over to get something from her bookshelf, to see who had just appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Andie."

Andie smirked. "What are we waiting for? Let's get this lady love-in started, shall we?"

The five of them sat around a small, circular table. Andie sat between Bobby and Pamela. Dean was on Pamela's other side and Sam between his brother and Bobby. Pamela had laid out a black cloth with some symbols on it over the table along with some candles gathered in the centre all burning a crisp, yellow flame.

"Alright," Pamela said in a quiet voice. "Take each other's hands." They all did as she asked. "And I need to touch something our mystery monster touched." She reached her hand underneath the table towards Dean.

"Whoa!" Dean jumped and kicked the table. "Well, he didn't touch me there!"

"My mistake." Pamela laughed flirtatiously. Andie made a noise with her tongue and rolled her eyes. Pamela looked over at her and noticed her wedding ring glinting in the candlelight. She recognized the same glint from the identical ring on Dean's left ring finger. "Sorry. Didn't realize you two were married."

"Yeah, can we do this already?" Andie snapped at her. "I actually have somewhere to be."

"Somewhere more important than here?" Dean raised his eyebrows as he lifted up his sleeve to show Pamela the hand print on his arm. "Come on, honey, as pissed as you are you still gotta be curious."

"Don't bet on it." Andie smirked nastily, not troubled at the sight of Dean's burn.

Pamela placed her hand over the print and cleared her throat to shush them. "Ok, let's begin." She closed her eyes. Before she could even start she yanked her hand out of Andie's grasp. "Ow!" She cried.

"What?" Sam asked.

Pamela gave Andie a strange look. "Nothing…" She held her hand again but pulled back immediately as though Andie's hand was on fire. "Ow!"

"What?" Andie asked. She wasn't intentionally doing anything to Pamela.

"Your skin…" Pamela shook her hand out as if to cool it down. "They say anger burns to the bone; I didn't realize it could be so literal."

"Look; can we just do this?" Andie asked more urgently.

Dean watched Andie carefully as she shifted uncharacteristically in her place. She wasn't one to be perturbed or to show that she was uncomfortable. Dean mentally tried to will her to look at him. But she wouldn't. He almost thought she knew what he was trying to do and was intentionally avoiding him.

Pamela cautiously took Andie's hand again but this time didn't rear back in pain. She took this as a good sign and began the séance. "I invoke, conjure and command you," She chanted. "Appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure and command you. Appear unto me before this circle."

Dean opened his eyes and glanced skeptically at Pamela. But no one else seemed to have an issue with her so Dean let it go. He glanced at Andie and saw her looking at Pamela with a similar expression to his own. She glanced over at him for barely a millisecond before closing her eyes again.

"You left me." Pamela muttered. "You left me."

"Who?" Dean spoke up opening his eyes again.

"You!" Pamela's eyes flew open and she smacked Dean across the face.

"Sonuva-!" Dean held his hand to his face. "What the hell?!"

"I'm sorry!" Pamela apologized retracting her hands and glancing at Andie. "That almost never happens."

"_What_ almost never happens?" Sam asked.

"Feeling through another's touch." Pamela explained rubbing her hand that had been in Andie's grasp.

Dean glanced at Andie and the two shared a serious look, but she looked away.

"Only happens when the emotion is buried," Pamela explained grasping Dean's arm over the handprint again. "It needs a vessel to get out."

"Look; can we séance this bitch already?" Andie cut in, getting uncomfortable with the conversation. She didn't lock eyes with Dean again as Pamela took her hand once more and began to chant again.

"I invoke, conjure and command you, appear unto me before this circle." Pamela continued; her voice rising. The TV clicked on behind her but bore nothing but static. "I invoke, conjure and command you- Castiel?" She suddenly stopped. "No, sorry Castiel I don't scare easy."

Andie opened her eyes as a breeze moved over the candle flames and the table began to shake. "Castiel?" She repeated.

"Its name, it's whispering to me," Pamela told her. "Warning me to turn back. I conjure and command you, show me your face." She started sounding fierce. "I conjure and command you, show me your face!"

Andie didn't close her eyes again. Sam opened his eyes and the two of them shared a worried look. The table began to shake even harder.

"I conjure and command you, show me your face!" Pamela cried loudly. "I conjure and command you, show me your-"

"Maybe we should stop." Bobby cut in.

"I almost got it." Pamela assured him. "I command you, show me your face! Show me your face now!" Suddenly Pamela gasped and screamed at the top of her lungs as the candle flames leapt high into the air. Pamela's eye sockets were filled with a bright, white light. Blood started to run from her eyes down the sides of her face. Pamela collapsed heavily to the floor. The table stopped shaking, the flames died down and everything else appeared to return to normal.

Bobby rushed to Pamela's side and lifted her up into his lap. "Call 9-1-1!" He hollered at Sam who disappeared to the phone in the kitchen.

Dean knelt down next to Bobby and Pamela. She was breathing heavily and there was blood all over her face. She opened her eyes, but there was nothing inside. They'd been burned out of her head.

"I can't see, I can't see…" Pamela whimpered in pain. "Oh, God…oh God!"

"Andie; give us a hand." Dean called to her as he and Bobby tried to get Pamela off the ground. When he didn't get a response, he looked around. "Andie?"

"Ambulance is on its way." Sam said as he came back into the room looking concernedly at Pamela.

"Where's Andie?" Dean asked his brother. Sam glanced around the room and shrugged.

**xxx**

Sam and Dean took off and left Bobby to make sure Pamela was okay, then the brothers went back into town and stopped at a diner for something to eat.

"She's not answering." Sam told his brother as he hung up on Andie's cell phone again.

"Something must've spooked her outta there…" Dean mused as he played with the ice in his glass.

"Something like Pamela's eyes burning out of her brain when she got a peek at that demon?" Sam suggested.

Dean gave him a look. "You're not funny." He sighed. "So we got a name, Castiel or whatever. With the right mojo, we could summon him, bring him right to us."

"You're crazy, absolutely not." Sam told him. "Weren't you paying attention back at Pam's? She got a glimpse and her eyes were melted out of her skull and you want to have a face to face?"

"You got a better idea?" Dean shrugged.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do," Sam said. "I followed some demons to town right? So, we go find 'em, someone's gotta know something about something."

The waitress who had taken down their order came over and put their plates of pie in front of them. She then grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat down with Sam and Dean. The brothers looked at one another.

"You angling for a tip?" Dean asked.

"I'm sorry; I thought you were looking for us." She made her eyes go black.

**xxx**

Andie drove the truck around until she found an out of the way dive bar. She went in, ordered a straight vodka, no ice, and downed it within seconds. She ordered another but didn't drink it straight away. She told the bartender to leave the bottle as moved down to an out of the way booth at the back of the bar. Her mind was going a mile a minute but most of her thoughts were centered on one man. Castiel. He'd done it; he'd brought Dean back from Hell. But why? For Sam? He'd said he wasn't doing it for Andie…perhaps he wasn't. He hadn't told her he'd done it; but it wasn't like he was on her speed dial.

The more time that passed in that bar; the less Andie believed any of it had happened. Dean…was it really him? Had she really seen him? And walked out on him? In all the time she'd dreamt of them being together again; that wasn't the reaction she'd expected of herself. But it had been the one that made the most sense at the time. For reasons Andie couldn't explain to herself; she felt like Dean was dangerous. Not in a way that would cause her physical harm; he was dangerous to her mind. When he was around her; she tended to forget about other things. More important things. Order of the Throne things.

"You didn't think I'd do it; did you." Castiel emerged from nowhere and sat across from Andie in the booth. "You went to the psychic to prove I was wrong; that it wasn't me who brought Dean back." He said this as if he'd known it all along. "Am I wrong?"

"No." Andie admitted leaning her head against the wall. "But it's true? You brought Dean back and he's…he's…ok? He's not half-demon or anything?"

"He's as he is the day he died." Castiel assured her. "He's not a threat."

"Why are you here?" Andie asked; her vodka finally taking effect; Castiel had a whitish blur around him. At least Andie hoped that was the vodka kicking in and not some kind of angelic aura.

"I'm going to need your help." Castiel told her. "Dean and his old friend, Bobby, are planning on summoning me."

"How do you know that?" Andie asked swirling the last of the vodka in her glass around in circles.

"I listen." Castiel answered.

"What do you want from me?" Andie shrugged.

"I need you to help me get Dean on our side." Castiel told her. "He trusts you; he'll trust you're judgment."

"My judgment?" Andie scoffed. "Mate, I still think you're a raving lunatic."

"No you don't." Castiel told her in his authoritative voice. "You don't like me; but you do believe me. I need you to help me with Dean," He leant against the table towards her. "Because we have work for him to do."

**xxx**


	6. Chapter 6: What It Takes To Let Him Go

**Chapter 6**

_What It Takes To Let Him Go_

After telling Sam he was going to get a beer with Bobby; Dean and his old friend headed to a bar off the side of the road just on the outskirts of town. The barn was covered in symbols; Bobby had been at it for hours with the spray paint. There was a Devil's Trap as well as hundreds of other occult and religious protection and binding symbols and traps. Dean was going through their weapons as Bobby finished up with the spray paint.

"We could use Andie for this, y'know." Bobby said to his young friend.

Dean paused briefly as he loaded his shotgun with rock salt bullets. Thinking of Andie was giving him a pain in his gut; he couldn't identify it. An insecurity maybe? He sure didn't think that Andie would be the one to distance herself from him if he ever got out of the pit. "Yeah, well, she's not talking to me." Dean muttered. "Hell of an art project you got going here." He nodded to all the symbols.

Bobby looked proudly at the work he'd done. "Traps and talismans from every faith on the globe." He joined Dean and glanced over the weapons. "How you doing?"

"Stakes, iron, silver, salt, knife," He listed. "I mean, we're pretty much set to catch and kill anything I've ever heard of."

"This is still a bad idea." Bobby warned him.

"Yeah, Bobby, I heard you the first ten times," He held up his shotgun. "So what do you say we ring the dinner bell?"

Bobby headed over to the other table where he had an array of herbs and occult ingredients. He sprinkled a powder over the bowl and it began to steam. "Matéus spiritus obscuré..." He mumbled

**xxx**

Andie tapped her fingers on the steering wheel along to a song on the radio; but she wasn't really paying attention. Castiel had taken off soon after their meeting at the bar telling her of a barn outside of town where Bobby and Dean were doing their summoning. She checked with her own mental ability and knew he was telling the truth; but Dean was slightly harder to read than Bobby. Andie wondered why; thinking maybe he still had some Hell on his clothes that was cloaking her ability to find him.

Even though she'd drunk a good half of that bottle of vodka, Andie felt none of the effects of it. She assumed Castiel had something to do with that because her driving was as smooth as ever. It took her a good couple of hours to get to the barn and, not surprisingly, Castiel was waiting for her at the head of the driveway.

"We'll walk from here." He told her before turning on his heel. "Stay behind me."

**xxx**

Bobby was whistling softly as he sat atop the table next to all his ingredients with a shotgun across his lap. Dean was leaning against the wall with Ruby's knife clasped in his hands. "You sure you did the ritual right?" Dean asked him. All he got in response was an '_of course I did, ya Idgit_' look. "Sorry, touchy, touchy huh?" He rubbed his tired eyes when a large gust of wind picked up and the barn roof started clattering. The noise caused both men to get to their feet and adopt attack positions. "Wishful thinking, but maybe it's just the wind…" Dean muttered. Then one of the flickering light bulbs above shattered, the door, which Bobby and Dean had tried to barricade with a two-by-four, snapped like a twig and the barn doors flew open.

A man in a long trench coat walked calmly into the room. Dean and Bobby both immediately started firing at him; but the bullets either didn't hit or didn't affect him. He just kept on walking serenely towards them. Dean grabbed Ruby's knife tightly and started circling their visitor. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"Castiel. I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from Perdition." He said coolly.

"Yeah, thanks for that." Dean stabbed him in the heart with the knife and waited for the result. But it didn't come.

Castiel easily pulled the knife out of his body, no trace of blood at all, and dropped it to the floor. Bobby lunged at Castiel with a crowbar high above his head but all he caught it mid-air before Bobby could attack. Castiel pointed a finger to Bobby's forehead and he collapsed to the floor. "We need to talk, Dean." Castiel looked up at him. "Alone."

Dean dropped to the floor beside his friend and checked his pulse as Castiel went over to the table and started flipping through one of Bobby's books. "Your friend's alive." Castiel told him.

"What are you?" Dean got to his feet.

"I'm an angel of the Lord."

"Get the hell outta here, there's no such thing." Dean told him with a laugh in his voice.

"This is your problem Dean, you have no faith." Castiel scolded him.

Outside, lightning cracked loudly and lit up the barn. Behind Castiel; the shadows of two huge wings extended across the back wall. Dean watched in shock as the lightning cracked again and the wings disappeared. "Some angel you are, you burned out that poor woman's eyes."

Castiel sighed and looked at his feet. "I warned her not to spy on my true form." He said. "It can be...overwhelming to humans. And so can my real voice; but you already knew that."

Dean crinkled his brow. "You mean the gas station and the motel…that was you talking?" Castiel nodded. "Buddy; next time lower the volume."

"It was my mistake. Certain people, special people can perceive my true visage." Castiel explained. "I thought you would be one of them. I was wrong."

"And what visage are you in now, huh?" Dean said mockingly. "What, holy tax accountant?"

"This," Castiel gestured to his body. "This is a vessel."

"You're possessing some poor bastard?" Dean shook his head.

"He's a devout man," Castiel assured him. "He actually prayed for this."

"Look, pal, I'm not buying what you're selling." Dean told him firmly. "So who are you, really?"

"I told you." Castiel said calmly.

"Right, and why would an Angel rescue me from hell?" Dean shrugged.

"Good things do happen, Dean." Castiel said with the faintest of smirks.

"Not in my experience." Dean mumbled.

"What's the matter?" Castiel asked, studying Dean's face. "You don't think you deserve to be saved."

"Why'd you do it?" Dean asked.

"Because God commanded it." Castiel said emphasizing every word. Dean, always skeptical to believe, clenched his jaw and stared Castiel down. "Because we have work for you." He was almost eye to eye with Dean now. "You need to trust me Dean."

"Just like that?" Dean narrowed his eyes.

"If you won't listen to me," Castiel nodded his head at the end of the barn. "You should listen to your wife."

Dean spun on his heel and saw Andie standing in the doorway. He wondered how long she'd been standing there but that thought disappeared when he realized that Andie was working with Castiel. "What the hell is going on?" He asked.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Andie said in a patronizing tone of voice. "I'm not evil. I'm not a demon. I'm here to help you, apparently." Her eyes glanced towards Castiel.

"You knew?" Dean couldn't believe it. "You knew he brought me back," He pointed at Castiel. "And you didn't say anything?! You let him blind Pamela?!"

"Ok, in all fairness, I didn't _know_ it was him," Andie answered taking a few long strides into the barn. "Because that would imply him keeping his word." She sneered at Castiel. "Something that, up until today, I was yet to see him do."

"That why you took off?" Dean asked her; his jaw still clenched in fury.

"Partly." Andie answered hotly. "But how would you react if someone who was ripped to shreds by invisible dogs before your eyes suddenly showed up looking oh-so-good?"

"I wouldn't run in the other direction." He snapped. Andie didn't seem to have a response for that.

"As enthralling as this conversation is," Castiel spoke up as he started to exit in the barn in the same, calm way he'd entered. "I'll leave you two be." He turned back to Dean. "But I will be in touch."

"Awesome." Dean deadpanned as Castiel left the barn and was out of sight.

Without a word, Andie gave Dean a once over with her eyes before she turned around and followed Castiel.

"Hold up just a second here," Dean jogged after her and grabbed her wrist to turn her around. Andie wrenched her arm out of his grasp; she really didn't want him touching her. "Andie; what's going on?"

"What?" She asked evasively, turning back to him and folding her arms.

"I'm gonna just blow past the fact that you knew that Angel brought me back and didn't say anything," Dean told her trying to keep his voice level. "And jump right into what the hell is wrong with you?" He clenched his jaw and glowered at her.

"Excuse me?" Andie replied with heavy attitude.

"I want to know why you're acting like this!" Dean snapped. "Come on; I've been in Hell for four months now I'm back; aren't you the least bit happy?" He tossed his arms limply at his sides.

"Of course I am." Andie told him; but still with the attitude.

"They why are you treating me like a two-timing prom date?!" He yelled exasperatedly. "What did _I_ do to _you_?"

"Dean, you died!" Andie reminded him. "And I couldn't do anything. I mean, literally. I couldn't do a thing after you were gone." Angry tears burned her eyes but she refused to let them fall. "I froze up; stopped hunting. And I almost lost Cass because of it. That's when I realized…I can't stop being a hunter. I have to do this."

"What does that have to do with how you're acting?" Dean folded his arms.

Andie sighed and looked at her feet for a few moments. "I'm so happy you're back, Dean, you have no idea." She finally admitted. "But don't expect me to jump into your arms and have my way with you." She told him. "With everything that's going on with Lilith and all of these demons...I can't…" She paused. "I can't be with you the way we used to be. Not anymore. Not if we want to win this fight." She bit her lip. "Because I can't deal with losing you again. What it did to me…how it…changed me…I can't do that again. I won't." She backed away from him. "I'm sorry."

"But Andie…" Dean called after her. "I love you. And you love me. And don't say you don't, 'cos I know you do; you're still wearing that ring." He shrugged. "Doesn't that count for something?"

Andie swallowed hard. "Love isn't the problem, Dean." She told him as she opened the door to leave. "It never was."

**xxx**


	7. Chapter 7: Old Wounds

**Chapter 7**

_Old Wounds_

A week after her angst-ridden run in with Dean, Andie found herself drowning her sorrows in vodka once again. It was fast becoming her main source of relief. She'd been off the radar for the last few days, Castiel hadn't shown up and both Winchester boys had stopped calling her. She wondered whose benefit they were doing that for; hers or their own?

Tossing the last mini-vodka from her mini bar aside, Andie got unsteadily to her feet and made a wonky beeline for her bed. The problem was; someone was already sitting on it.

"Remember me?" She said in a grave voice.

Andie thought her eyes were playing tricks on her because the young girl she saw sitting politely on the end of her bed couldn't possibly be who Andie thought she was. "Mm…Myla?" she stammered.

Quick as a flash, Myla was on her feet and in front of Andie. Her clothes were bloodied and dirty and she had tears streaming down her face. "You let me die." She said tearfully. "You let the demon destroy me."

"No, I…" Andie shook her head and took a step back. She stumbled and fell onto her backside. The memory of that night three years before when Andie had met Myla still burned in her brain…

_…it had been a still, cold, night when Andie tracked a demon called Wutr to an abandoned steel mill. The demon had possessed a twenty-something year old girl named Myla Conrad for her beauty to lure men and consume them. Andie had followed the demon to the top of the mill where she'd fought blow to blow. She'd finally overpowered Wutr and tossed her over the side of the steel mill. Andie thought she'd won. But then she saw the smoke disappearing into the night sky; she knew she'd celebrated too soon. Muttering insults to herself, Andie had descended down the stairs of the steel mill and spotted Myla's body on the ground. Dead bodies always affected Andie; but there was nothing she could do for them. _

_Then she saw Myla's hand move. She was alive._

_"Oh no," Andie breathed as she bolted to Myla's side, skidding along in the gravel as she slid in beside her. "Myla?"_

_"Help me." Myla begged her with tearful eyes. "Help me, please."_

_Andie fumbled in her pocket for her cell phone and dialed 911, telling them she'd seen a young girl fall off the steel mill roof. She directed the operator to send an ambulance the mill then hung up. "Help's coming, ok?" Andie told the Myla. "They'll be here soon."_

_"Please don't leave me." Myla held up her hand to Andie. "I don't want to die; please don't leave me."_

_Andie timidly took the girls hand. "I won't; I promise. You'll be ok." She smiled._

_Myla returned a wobbly smirk then winced. "My head….my head feels wet." She muttered._

_Fear rippled through Andie's body as she tentatively touched the back of Myla's head. She retracted her hand and it was covered in thick, crimson blood. Andie was no doctor but she knew how bad a gushing head wound was. "Oh no…" She breathed._

_"Please don't let me die." Myla begged tiredly as he eyes started to close. "Please…"_

_"Just hang on." Andie mumbled as she listened for the wail of an ambulance siren. "Just hang on…" The familiar siren pricked Andie's ears as Myla's eyes shut completely. "Myla?" Andie voiced hopefully. But she got no response. "I'm sorry…" Jumping to her feet; Andie bolted away from the steel mill leaving her fallen victim as far behind her as she could. But as it was with her life; the past never stayed buried…_

In her hotel room, Andie stood nose to nose with Myla's tearful face. "You ran off. You left me. I died because of you."

"I'm sorry." Andie said pitifully as she backed away from the spirit.

"Sorry won't cut it." Myla plunged her hand into Andie's chest.

Andie felt like a freezing cold vice had just gripped her heart. She couldn't move, couldn't defend herself. She was completely helpless. That was until a shotgun shot off two rounds into Myla's back and she disappeared. Andie gasped for breath as she was soon joined by a familiar, short statured old friend.

"You good?" Cass's voice asked as she stuffed a felt pouch into her friend's hand.

"Cass, what's going on?" Andie asked her as she regained a normal heart rate. "What is this?" She gestured to the baggie in her hands.

"It'll keep them from finding us." Cass told her. "As long as we keep moving; that is."

"Who?" Andie was puzzled.

"The spirits." Cass stated. "They're coming back for some reason; the ghosts of those people hunter's couldn't save. They taunt you; scare you straight then kill you." She paused. "Jameson's dead." She added sorrowfully.

"What?!" Andie couldn't believe her ears.

"I barely got out of there." She went straight for the sink and started ripping off her clothes. "They killed them all."

"But you've never lost anyone." Andie reminded her, Cass had an impeccable hunting record.

"Probably why I'm still breathing." Cass muttered as she glanced in the mirror and wiped a patch of blood off her forehead.

"I'm sorry." Andie told her.

"Whatever it is, it's moving. All the hunters I know are either dead or running." Cass headed to the kitchen and filled a glass with water to wash her mouth out. "I came here for you. We have to tell Bobby and the brothers." She spat bloodied water back into the sink.

"Can't we just call them?" Andie mumbled pathetically.

"Yeah," She mimicked holding a phone to her ear. "Hey guys, y'know those people you couldn't save? Well, they're coming for ya and they're gonna crush your hearts with their hands. So, death is pretty much a certainty. Other than that; how are you?"

"Fine." Andie said through a guttural sigh.

"Ok then; get your crap and let's move." Cass ordered. "We can use your freaky-deaky Spidey sense to find the guys." She watched her friend down the last of a small bottle of vodka as she packed her bag. "I'll drive."

**xxx**

Cass missed being behind the wheel of her old truck but she fell right back into driver's seat; literally. The two of them were headed East towards Bobby's place; that's where Andie had pinpointed the brother's location. Cass stole glances at her friend as she drove; she looked strange. And in a way Cassidy couldn't recognize. Andie wasn't one to talk about what she was going through too much; more to the point she didn't have people _to_ talk to. Dean's death and then sudden reappearance had physically shaken her.

"I am sorry about Jameson, Cass." Andie suddenly spoke up. "He was a sweet kid."

"Yeah, he was." Cass agreed with a sigh. She didn't really want to talk about it. "So; when did you last talk to Dean?" She tried to change the subject casually

"'Bout a week ago." Andie answered as she mindlessly twirled her wedding ring around and around on her finger with her thumb.

"After that whole Castiel thing?" Cass asked. "Him 'recruiting' you and all?"

"Telling me he wants my help to convince Dean he's got some kind of "purpose" isn't my idea of recruitment." Andie told her. "Take this left." She pointed to a sharp turn up ahead.

Cass obliged and clicked on the indicator. "Well, you're helping are you not?" She thought a moment. "Oh, wait. No you're not." She glanced at her friend. "Disobeying an angel, Andie?" Cass clucked her tongue. "

"Do I have to tell you _again_ how this so called angel has asked me to stop fighting those Hierarchy demons?" Andie snapped.

"Yeah; the guy's smart." Cass told her with a smirk. "He's an angel, right? Angel's watch people. He was probably watching you after Dean died and saw what happened after you didn't use your power for a month. Maybe he thinks that if he stops you fighting those demons; you'll use your powers to help Dean with…with whatever it is they have planned for him."

"Cass; don't get all _Mentalist_ on me, ok?" Andie told her.

"Well, are you gonna help Dean or not?" Cass raised her eyebrows at her friend.

"I'm in the car, aren't I?" Andie questioned her.

"Touché." Cass replied.

**xxx**

When the girl's arrived at Bobby's, the first thing Andie spotted was the Impala sitting silently at the head of the driveway. Bobby's backyard was an Aladdin's cave of old cars in different states of demise so the gleaming, black Chevy stood out.

"Well, this is…." Cass glanced at the weather damaged house that stood before them. "Quaint."

"That's one word…" Andie agreed as she climbed out of the truck and headed towards the front steps. Andie didn't know Bobby all that well but she knew him enough to know that he would more than likely be waiting at the front door having heard the truck pull in; possibly with his shotgun in hand 'just in case'.

"Maybe they aren't here?" Cass offered as she followed Andie up the front steps. "Maybe that sense of yours is off?" Her friend didn't answer. "Andie?"

"I'm pretending I don't hear your negativity." Andie told her.

"Bite me." Cass mumbled.

"Suck it." Andie replied just as inaudibly as she knocked on the front door. She didn't hear any heavy footsteps or shuffling around inside.

"Ok; so where are they?" Cass glanced around at the setting sun behind them holding her hand above her brow as a shield from the sunlight.

"Underneath." Andie realized, her sense kicking in again.

Cass tried to open the front door. "Locked." She said jiggling the handle a few times.

Andie used her power to swiftly swing the door open. "Not now it's not." She strode into the house with Cass right behind her. "Ok, if I was a secret door downstairs to a basement where would I be?"

"Andie; over here." Cass called from the living room. "Found it."

Andie followed Cass's voice and found her standing in front of an open door that led downstairs to a cool, damp, dark basement. Andie took the lead and descended the stairs. As she hit the bottom she noticed a large, steel door to her right with the unmistakable symbol of a devil's trap before it, almost like a doormat.

"The hell is that?" Cass asked cocking her head to the side.

Andie walked over and stood inside the Devil's trap. "Let's ask, shall we?" She banged her fist heavily on the door.

"Who is it?" Sam's voice called out.

"The hookers you ordered." Andie replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, and we charge by the hour so let us in already." Cass added.

There was a smattering of soft mumblings before some footsteps and then some clinks and clanks as the door was unlocked from the other side. Moments later Dean stood before them with Sam just over his shoulder.

"Andie." Dean said with a smile on his lips.

"Cass." Sam said in slight shock.

The girls smirked. "Boys." They replied in unison.

**xxx**


	8. Chapter 8: Just A State Of Mind

**Chapter 8**

_Just A State Of Mind_

"What are you doing here?" Dean asked Andie.

"Move." She answered as she let herself into the bunker.

"Nice to see you, too." Dean mumbled as he securely locked the door behind the two women.

"Hey, Bobby." Andie waved at him.

"Andie." Bobby nodded at her. "Cass." He directed another nod at her.

"Sam-u-el." Cass looked Sam up and down. "_Man_, grief made you hotter."

"Not that I'm not happy to see ya," Dean said to Andie as she glanced over the books on angels the brothers had been reading with Bobby. "But why are you here?"

"Well," Andie knocked on the walls of the room and realized it was solid iron. Above them was a vent with a fan that let fresh air in and the grate was shaped to look like a pentagram to keep the demons out. "Evil spirits are coming back from the dead and killing the hunters that couldn't save them. But seeing as you three are in a cast iron cell; I figure you know that."

"Yeah, we got attacked earlier today." Sam told her.

"Me too." Andie replied.

"Half the hunters I know are dead." Cass spoke up.

"Same." Bobby voiced from his desk. "Boys noticed a mark on the spirits that attacked 'em; I'm looking it up."

"Mark?" Andie repeated.

"On the wrist." Sam explained. "Did you see it?"

"No; too busy having the life squeezed out of my heart." Andie replied.

"I saw something." Cass remembered. "Here." She touched the inside of her wrist. "Kinda like a square with curved sides in a circle with bells and whistles all round it. Oh, yup," She pointed to the note paper Bobby was holding up that had a scribbling of a symbol on it. "That's the one. Figured out what it is yet?"

"Still looking." Bobby shrugged and went back to his books.

"So, Cass…" Dean turned to her. "You don't seem surprised to see me so I guess you know what's going on?"

"Oh, right!" Cass threw her arms around him and slapped him on the back. "Out of hell and back at work; I almost forgot."

"Yeah, because it's such a common occurrence." Sam spoke up with a sarcastic grin.

"Oh, don't sass me, Sam." Cass tutted him. "Or I'll punish you." She winked at him.

"Ew, please." Andie made a grossed out face. "Enclosed space." She gestured to the walls of the iron bunker. "Huh…" She muttered as she started walking around in a small circle. "This room is kind of…small…isn't it."

"You're not claustrophobic." Cass told her. "Wait, are you?" She cocked her head at Andie.

"Oh, thank you very much." Andie smacked her friend's shoulder with the back of her hand. "Now you put the idea in my head." She sighed. "If I go crazy in here, I'm killing you first."

"Understood." Cass nodded.

Dean stood a few feet from Andie and watched her for a few moments. She had a more comfortable air about her than she had the last time he'd seen her, but still seemed quite stand-offish. And his hug from Cass made Dean realize Andie hadn't touched him once since he'd come back. She was shrugging off her jacket to reveal the slate gray singlet she was wearing so her bare skin had Dean's mind wandering. That was until he noticed something other than the gun sticking out the back of her pants; it was a symbol on her left shoulder blade. "Morgan," He asked her pointing at the mark. "What is that?"

Andie turned to him and saw him pointing to her shoulder. "Oh," She moved her singlet strap aside a little to reveal the tat in its entirety. "My tattoo. Same as that one stamped on your chest." She told him, readjusting the strap on her shoulder.

"When did you get it?" He asked curiously.

"I don't know, Dean, meth is a helluva drug." He didn't seem to get her joke. "I'm kidding, idiot." She assured him. "I got it a coupla months ago."

"So, the bunker." Cass gestured around. "Damn. Nice work. But we're in it why now?"

"We step outside and the spirits are just waiting to pounce." Sam explained.

"Yeah; so how'd you two get in here unscathed?" Dean asked.

Cass and Andie held up their felt pouches. "Little something-something I whipped up; keeps us of their radar as long as we keep moving." Cass told him. "But, by the looks of this place, we're not planning on going anywhere."

"Not until we sort this out." Bobby spoke up. "But we could use an extra coupla hands researching angels." He gestured to a large stack of books on the other desk.

"Angels, right." Cass nodded and went over to inspect the book collection. "'Cos of that one that dragged you outta the demonic slammer." She said to Dean. "Andie filled me in…" She scanned the book titles.

"So I take it you can't shed some light?" Sam asked her hopefully.

"No, sorry." Cass apologized. "My knowledge of angels extends only to what I've learned watching Touched By An Angel … ironically that does sort of fit this situation." She frowned, selected a book and curled up on the rollaway bed to start reading.

Andie grabbed a book as well but preferred to pace as she read rather than sit. She told herself it was because she read better that way and not because the only space available was at the desk where Dean was loading his shotgun with rocksalt bullets. Andie skimmed page after page on angel lore and eye witness accounts but found nothing about resurrecting souls. The sound of loading his shotgun stopped and she felt his eyes on her. Andie glanced up and saw Dean staring at her, but he didn't say anything or look away. She tried to ignore him and went back to reading but he kept on staring. She'd finally had enough. "What?" She asked slamming her book shut. "What? What? What? What? What?"

"What?" Dean asked blankly as though she'd interrupted him doing something _that_ intense.

"Quit staring at me; it's creepy." She scolded him.

"I wasn't staring at you." Dean rebutted.

"Oh, sorry. I was thrown off by you looking in my direction." She argued.

"Don't flatter yourself, honey." Dean assured her. "I was thinking."

"About?" Andie pressed.

He tapped his wedding ringed finger against his shotgun for a few moments. "Ok, this is why I can't get behind God." He finally said.

Bobby, Sam and Cassidy all looked up at him. "What are you talking about?" Sam asked his brother.

"If he doesn't exist, fine. Bad crap happens to good people. That's how it is." He looked from Andie to Sam. "There's no rhyme or reason; just random, horrible, evil." He shrugged. "I get it, okay, I can roll with that. But if he is out there then what's wrong with him? Where the hell is he while all these decent people are getting torn to shreds? How does he live with himself? You know, why doesn't he help?"

His audience all looked at one another mentally trying to figure out which one of them should answer. Bobby was first to decline. "I ain't touching this one with a ten foot pole." He shrugged.

"I'll give it a go." Cass spoke up. "God and humans, if I may compare both of them to cuts of meat-"

"Cass; no." Andie silenced her. Her friend held up her hands in mock surrender and went back to her reading, muttering something inaudible to Andie but no doubt insulting.

"Found it." Bobby said so casually the others almost missed it.

"What?" Sam scrambled to his feet and hurried over to see Bobby pointed out the symbol in one of the older textbooks in front of him.

"That brand on the ghosts?" Bobby continued as the others came and looked over his shoulder. "Mark of The Witness."

"Witness to what?" Sam asked.

"The unnatural." Bobby answered. "None of them died what you'd call ordinary deaths. See, these ghosts; they were forced to rise. They woke up in agony. They're like rabid dogs. It ain't their fault. Someone rose 'em... on purpose."

"Who?" Dean asked.

Bobby held out his hands. "Do I look like I know?" he sighed. "But whoever it was used a spell so powerful it left a mark; this brand on their souls."

Dean suddenly became very aware of the hand print on his arm. He lifted his shirt and glanced at it. He felt Andie's eyes on him and looked up at her. She glanced at the mark and then up at him before looking back at Bobby.

"Whoever did this had big plans." Bobby was saying. "It's called "The Rising of the Witnesses". It figures into an ancient prophecy."

"Wait, wait." Dean stopped Bobby. "What book is that prophecy from?"

"Well, the widely distributed version's just for tourists," Bobby explained. "But uh...long story short, Revelations." He wasn't surprised to see shock on the four young faces around him. "This is a sign, kids."

"A sign of what?" Dean and Sam asked in unison.

"The apocalypse." Bobby answered.

"Of course." Andie said sardonically with a shake of her head.

"Apocalypse?" Dean repeated. "As in apocalypse, apocalypse? The four horsemen, pestilence, $5-A-Gallon-Gas apocalypse?"

"That's the one." Bobby confirmed. ""The Rise of the Witnesses" is a mile marker."

"Okay, so, what do we do now?" Cass asked the room.

"Roadtrip." Dean answered as he went back to his bag. "Grand Canyon, Star Trek Experience, Bunny Ranch."

"Wouldn't mind going to Paris…" Andie added.

"France?" Dean asked.

"No, Hilton – of course France." Andie rolled her eye. Dean opened his mouth to retort but Bobby stepped in.

"First things first." Bobby interrupted their plans. "How about we survive our friends out there?" He nodded his head upwards.

"Any ideas on the how?" Dean asked.

Bobby tapped the book open in front of him. "It's a spell to send the witnesses back to rest. Should work."

"Should…such a positive word." Cass deadpanned.

"If I translate it correctly," Bobby told her. "And I think I got everything we need here at the house."

"Any chance you've got everything we need here in this room?" Dean asked hopefully.

"So, you thought our luck was gonna start now all of a sudden?" Bobby joked as he got out of his chair and went to inspect the weapons. "Spell's gotta be cast over an open fire. So, the fireplace upstairs in the library."

"This is not as appealing as a ghost-proof panic room, you know?" Dean said to his brother who raised his eyebrows in agreement. "Here." He tossed Sam a loaded gun.

"Oh, while you're there," Andie removed her pistol from the back of her jeans. "Be a dear and load this for me." She handed it over to him.

"Can't you just toss them away?" Sam mimicked her using her power as Dean took Andie's gun and starting filling it with rock salt.

"Do you not know me?" Andie asked him rhetorically. "Ghosts aren't corporeal; they have no physical body for me to move, duh."

"Yeah, duh, Sam." Cass winked at him and took her own gun out of her knapsack. "Load this for me, would ya babe?" She waved the gun at Dean; he didn't look impressed. "Or not, whatever." She began to load the gun herself.

"There you go." Dean handed Andie her gun back and noticed the darkened circles under her eyes and ashen look of her cheeks. "Are you alright?"

"Sure; never better." Andie took her gun and slid it into the back of her jeans. "Why?"

"You look beat." He told her honestly.

"Yeah, well, I don't sleep much anymore." She admitted. "Are we ready?"

Sam cocked his sawn off shotgun. "Oh yeah." He said gleefully.

**xxx**


	9. Chapter 9: Clear The Area

**Chapter 9**

_Clear The Area_

"Cover each other." Bobby told the group as he started unlocking the door of the bunker. "And aim careful. Don't run out of ammo until I'm done or they'll shred you. Ready?" His question was met with four nods so Bobby opened the door.

Sam walked out first with his shotgun poised at whatever could possibly jump out and attack them. The basement, however, was empty. Dean followed his brother out, also with his gun at the ready, and Andie and Cass followed him with Bobby bringing up the rear. They moved in a slow line towards the staircase where Dean aimed his gun upwards and saw the bloodied ghost of Ronald Resnick sitting on the top step smiling down at them.

"Hey, Dean. You remember me?" Ronald asked.

Dean smiled as he recognized the ghost. "Ronald, huh? With the laser eyes? I wish I could say it's good to see you."

"I'm dead because of you." Ronald said angrily as he got to his feet. "You were supposed to help me!"

There was a load crack then Ronald disappeared. Bobby lowered his gun and nudged Dean. "If you're gonna shoot then shoot." He scolded him. "Don't talk." He took the lead and headed up the stairs.

The group went into the living room where Bobby started to organize things at his desk as Sam and Cass took to encircling them all in a thick barrier of salt. "Upstairs; linen closet." Bobby called at Sam when they'd completed the protective circle. "Red hex box. Easy to spot; it'll be heavy."

"Ok." Sam disappeared into the hall.

"I'll go with him." Cass echoed as she followed Sam.

Dean and Andie were at the fireplace organizing their salt bullets when a ghostly voice called to their older friend.

"Bobby."

Dean, Andie and Bobby all looked up to see twin girls who looked no older than ten standing just outside the saltline in filthy, torn white dresses with messy brown hair and a grimy, pale faces. "Bobby." They called again.

Clicking his gun off safety, Dean aimed and fired twice shooting both girls into oblivion. But just as their remains dispersed, an eerie, childish giggle resonated through the house.

"Kitchen." Bobby ordered Dean. "Cutlery drawer. It's got a false bottom. Hemlock, opium, wormwood." Dean took off out of the circle and Bobby tossed Andie a satchel. "Pour that into that bowl." He indicated a large, copper pot on top of the fireplace mantle.

Andie grabbed the bowl down and saw the girls appear again out of the corner of her eye. They were at the window now.

"Bobby." They called. "You walked right by us while that monster ate us all up. You should have saved us."

Andie retrieved her gun from the table with one hand and shot at the ghostly twins. She looked over at her tearful friend; clearly Bobby was still haunted by the fact he hadn't been able to save those young sisters.

"What do you mean, impeccable record?" Sam asked Cass as the pair of them reached the second floor of Bobby's house.

"I mean exactly that." Cass told him with a smirk. "That's why you won't find any ghosties coming after me."

"I'll remember that." Sam muttered as he yanked open the door to a bedroom with his gun poised. He'd found a spare office; not the linen closet. He tried the next door with much more success. "Got it." He handed Cass his gun and tossed a bundle of towels and sheets on the floor revealing a hefty looking, fire engine red metal box. "Let's go." He said to Cass.

"You know what really pisses me off, Sam?" A calm, female voice said from behind them.

Sam and Cass quickly turned to see Meg, a young woman Sam and Dean had been unable to save from possession, standing at the other end of the hall with her arms over her chest. She flickered in place a few times; a surefire sign that she was no longer in the land of the living. Cass aimed Sam's gun and fired but Meg disappeared before she got hit. She didn't stay gone, thought, showing up seconds later behind the pair.

"You saw," Meg said tearfully as Cass and Sam turned to face her. "How I suffered for months. I thought you must have learned _something_. I thought I died for _something_."

"Meg." Sam mumbled.

"But what you're doing with that demon, Ruby?" Meg continued.

Cass furrowed her brow. "Demon? Ruby? _Demon Ruby_?" She stared at Sam. "The one who tried to kill you all?!

"How many innocent bodies has Ruby burned through for kicks? How many girls just like me?" Meg went on with tears streaking down her face. "And you don't send her back to hell? You're a monster!"

Cass fired the shotgun and Meg disappeared. Then she turned on Sam. "You're in cahoots with a demon?" She accused him.

"Cass, it's not what you think." Sam explained.

"Oh, you do _not_ wanna make the mistake of thinking you know what I'm thinking." She replied very quickly.

Downstairs, Dean was rifling through the drawer Bobby had told him about. The cutlery was sprawled across the counter and he was sorting through the herbs when the kitchen doors behind him slid shut on their own, shielding him from Bobby and Andie.

"Dean?" Bobby called out.

"I'm alright, Bobby!" he called back. "Keep working!" Dean located the opium and was looking for hemlock when a fierce hand grabbed him by the wrist and held him like a vise. Looking up, Dean immediately recognized this ghost. "Victor." He said as the non-corporeal form of Agent Henriksen stood over him.

"Dean." Henriksen replied with a bitter smirk.

"I know." Dean tried to apologize.

"No, you don't." Victor cut in.

"It's my fault you're dead." Dean pressed on. "I left you behind. And the minute I heard about that explosion I thought, "I should have known"." He moved his hand behind him reaching for his shot gun. "I should have protected you." Henriksen saw him move and telepathically tossed the gun across the room, far out of Dean's reach.

"Nuh-uh. Not so fast." Victor taunted him. "You think you left and Lilith came and we all died in a beautiful blast of…what…white light?" he scoffed. "If only." He seemed somewhat happy to see Dean surprised. "Over 45 minutes. Lilith said she wanted to have some fun. The secretary was first, remember her?" He paused. "Nancy, the virgin. Lilith filleted Nancy's skin off piece by piece right in front of us. Made us watch. Nancy never stopped screaming." He squared his jaw. "I was the last."

"No." Dean whispered, growing tearful. "Victor, I-"

He was cut off mid-sentence as Victor plunged his hand into Dean's chest and enclosed it around his heart. Dean struggled against the mind numbing pain and his knees buckled. Henriksen's grip never weakened as Dean crumpled to the floor.

"Tell me how it's fair?!" Henriksen cried. "You get saved from hell - I die. Why do you deserve another chance, Dean?"

Andie held her pistol to Viktor's temple. "Cos I say so." She told the ghost before firing into his skull.

Dean fell forwards onto his hands and knees as Henriksen's vise was removed from his heart. He gasped for air before realizing it was Andie who'd saved him.

"Are you ok?" She asked him.

He held his hand to his heart. "No." He replied pointedly. "Took your time." He got to his feet unsteadily with Bobby's herbs still clasped in his hand.

"Why can't you just be grateful?" She replied. "Let's go." She shoved him a little towards the now open kitchen doors that she'd barged her way through back to Bobby. Sam and Cassidy had returned from upstairs with the hex box in hand. Dean tossed the herbs from the kitchen to his old friend who immediately added them to the bowl in front of him.

Cassidy was helping Bobby unload the box while Andie, Sam and Dean all reloaded their weapons. Just by the window and outside the saltline; Ronald appeared in front of Dean again. "Ronald." Dean spotted him. "Hey, come on man. I thought we were pals."

"That's when I was breathing." The ghost replied vaguely. "Now I'm gonna eat you alive."

Dean, looking down as he was reloading his rifle, laughed. "Well.. come on, I'm not a cheeseburger." He looked up and Ronald was gone.

Andie was shoving bullets into her pistol a scared voice called her name. "Andie…" Standing directly in the centre of the doorway was the ghost of Myla, one of Andie's unsaved victims. "You let the demon possess me. You should have known. _You should have known_!!" She cried. Then there was a crack of a bullet and she was gone.

"What did I tell you about stopping?!" Cass scolded her, lowering her gun and smacking Andie over the back of the head with her hand. "Don't talk to the damn ghost; shoot it and move on."

Bobby added the last of his ingredients into the bowl and began muttering in Latin. The windows all swung open as the wind plagued the house, whipping up curtains and spilling papers like leaves in an autumn breeze. The salt circle began to disperse with the strength of the gusts and scattered out of shape as the wind died down.

Meg showed up in front of Sam but he shot her straight away.

Myla popped up nose to nose with Andie but she was ready this time and fired her pistol quickly.

"Down!" Dean cried to Andie and Cass as Myla and Meg appeared side by side behind them. Dean fired his shotgun just as Andie and Cass hit the deck.

Meg simply reappeared at the edge of the room and used her mind to direct a bookshelf towards Sam, knocking the gun out of his hand and blocking him from retrieving it.

Andie was struggling to fight with Myla, who appeared so quickly the dust barely had a chance to settle and Dean was trying to keep his eye on Ronald who popped up so often Dean wasn't sure if he was shooting him or if Ron was moving himself around. Cass was the first one to see Henriksen appear and was ready with her shotgun; but soon she, too, was struggling to keep up.

They were all so busy, no one saw one of the twin girls appear behind Bobby and plunge her hand into his chest, the same way Henriksen had to Dean in the kitchen, squeezing his heart for dear life. Bobby, who had been completing the ritual, froze on the spot. "Dean!" He managed to gasp. "Fireplace!"

Turning, Dean saw his friend in distress but obeyed him and took three long strides to the fireplace, grabbing the bowl out of Bobby's hands and dumping it into the fire pit. The flames flared up into blues and greens before a bright, white light erupted from within the fire and filled the entire room. By the time the group could see again; all the ghosts were gone.

"Bobby?" Dean called out as he saw his friend on the floor.

"Yeah, I'm ok." Bobby assured him as he got slowly up off the ground. He let out a low whistle as he glanced around his room. "Great work, kids."

**xxx**

Andie, Cass, Dean and Sam all accepted Bobby's offer of a place to crash and each took turns in the bathroom preparing for bed. The brothers stayed downstairs while Andie and Cass were upstairs.

"Hey, can you drive me into town in the morning?" Cass asked as she toweled her hair dry.

Andie furrowed her brow and spat toothpaste into the sink. "You don't want your truck back?" She asked as she rinsed out her mouth.

"It's all good. I've got Jameson's ride back at the motel where I picked you up." She said. "It's in way better shape than that old thing."

"Thanks." Andie smiled.

"You're welcome." Cass smiled. "So Sam and Ruby, huh?" She tried to add casually.

Andie stared at her friend's reflection. "He told you?" She inquired.

"No, that Meg ghost did." Cass corrected her. "So he's in league with a demon now?"

Andie shrugged. "I guess so. He told me she's helping him; that she saved him after Dean…" She didn't like using the word. Dean dying was in the past; Andie intended to keep it there. "But Dean doesn't know about it. I promised Sam I wouldn't tell."

"Yeah, he was banging on about that." Cass rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Dean and I aren't exactly gonna have a heart to heart now are we?" She clicked off the bathroom light and the two of them headed downstairs.

The brothers were already out of it by the time they came back to the living room. Sam had taken the couch while Dean was asleep on the floor. There was only one other chair available, an old but comfy-looking single chair near Sam. Andie held her fist out to Cass, indicating a game of Paper, Scissors, Rock. "Best outta three wins the couch?" She challenged.

Cass smirked and pushed her fist away. "Morgan, you have to learn to improvise." She told her as she crept over towards Sam.

"What are you doing?" Andie called after her in a hushed whisper.

"Being inventive." Cass answered as she climbed onto the couch and settled into place beside Sam. She had to lift his arm to get comfortable snuggled against him but she managed to do it without waking him up. "Your move." She mouthed to her friend before setting her head down on Sam's chest and closing her eyes.

Andie scoffed lightly and climbed onto the comfy chair. She settled against the cushions and eyed Dean on the floor. He and Andie shared the knack of being able to sleep anywhere at any time. But ever since she'd found out about Dean's deal that many months before, she hadn't been sleeping so well.

In his sleep, Dean stirred and rolled onto his back. Andie leant against the arm of the chair and sighed; she had a million things going through her mind. The one she gave the most thought to was the Order of the Throne; Lilith was definitely going to resurrect more and they'd be arriving sooner rather than later so Andie had to keep her head in the game. The main blockade with that was Castiel. She had a strong feeling that the moment she left Dean, the Angel would show up telling her the brothers needed her help again and thus thwarting her chase of the next Hierarchy demon. Sighing again as Dean shifted once more in his slumber; Andie closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

It seemed like only seconds later that Cass was waking her up. "Andie; shift it or lose it." She was whispering.

"That's not the saying." Andie grumbled as she opened her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Seven A.M." Cass replied.

Andie realized Cass was shrugging on her jacket. "Where are you going?"

"You said you'd drive me to town, remember?" Cass told her. "Come on; let's move. I'm starving."

"Well," Andie sat up and stretched her arms out and yawned. "What about Sam?" She was suddenly struck with a pang of discomfort; like she didn't really want to leave. "I mean, I thought you two might…" She raised her eyebrows rather than finish off the sentence.

"Funnily enough, young Sammy gets kinda handsy in his sleep." Cass flicked her cropped fringe out of her eyes. "What a night…"

Andie blanched. "You really need to learn to hold back on the details, Cass."

"Well, get up." Cass smacked Andie a few times on the top of her thigh. "If I wanna maintain my whole mystery lover façade I have to be gone before he wakes up." She jeered her head towards Sam. "I'll be in the truck." She crept out of the room and down the hall.

Andie got to her feet and stretched her arms high up above her head. She was heading to the kitchen to grab her jacket and bag from the table when a voice called her from back in the living room.

"Morgan?" Dean called sleepily as she pushed himself up off the floor.

"Any chance I can play this off as a dream?" She replied quietly so as not to wake Sam.

"You're leaving?" He guessed. "But you just got here."

"I told Cass I'd take her into town." Andie replied as she slid on her jacket and took a few steps back towards Dean.

"Still, you should stay awhile." Dean mumbled and got to his feet.

"Maybe next time." Andie said. "Ok, see ya." She headed out into the hall.

"Castiel told me about the 66 seals." Dean called after her as he came into the kitchen. "Oh, and that you know about them." His tone was calm but his expression was ticked off.

Andie retraced her steps backwards and then turned around. "He did what now?"

"He's taken to coming into my dreams." Dean told her as he got himself a glass of water. "Stood right where you are now and told me what a great job he thought we'd done with the witnesses." He took a long drink. "Andie," He set his cup down and looked at her. "I need to know what's going on here."

"What do you mean?" Andie asked.

"With you." Dean told her. "I mean first Castiel, then the seals; it's like every time we come up against something I found out you already knew." He shrugged. "Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"Dean, I'm going off the words of a so-called Angel here." Andie replied defensively. "I take everything he says with a grain of salt. And I don't want to tell you everything and have you freak out when it's nothing to worry about."

"Look, I don't wanna fight here." Dean tiredly rubbed his eyes. "Just…" He sighed. "Next time, let me know ahead of schedule?"

Andie paused. "Ok." She agreed a moment later. "I have to go." As if on cue, Cass honked the truck's horn outside. "I have an impatient bitch to drop off." She smirked and headed out into the hall.

"Andie?" Dean called after her.

Andie stuck her head back into the kitchen. "Yeah?"

"Are we ok?" he asked carefully.

Andie sighed and shrugged. "I don't know." She replied honestly chewing her lip. There was no point in lying to him or sugar-coating anything. She may as well call it as it was. "I don't think so." She added as tears threatened to creep up into her eyes. Andie headed off down the hall before he could see her wave of emotion.

"You alright?" Cassidy asked her as she climbed into the truck a moment later.

"Yeah, 'course." Andie answered starting up the engine. "Why wouldn't I be?"

**xxx**


	10. Chapter 10: Am I Ever Gonna Find Out?

**Chapter 10  
**

_Am I Ever Gonna Find Out?_

Dean gasped and woke up, his few days back in the past with his parents feeling as real as a dream. The truth of Azazel killing his grandparents then forcing his mother to make a deal with him to save his father's life was a lot to take in. Especially since Dean hadn't done what Castiel had told him he had to do; he hadn't stopped it from happening. Dean looked up and saw he wasn't alone in the motel room; Castiel was standing near the foot of his bed. "I couldn't stop it. Any of it." He said as he sat up in bed. "She still made that deal…she still died in the nursery, didn't she?"

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Castiel assured him. "You couldn't have stopped it."

Dean looked up at him with a confused look and slowly rose off the bed. "What?"

"Destiny can't be changed, Dean." Castiel explained. "All roads lead to the same destination."

Dean wasn't any less confused. "Then why'd you send me back?"

"To find out the truth." Castiel told him. "Now you know everything that we do."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dean snapped. Castiel replied with a nod of his head towards the bed Dean assumed was occupied by his sleeping brother. It was still made. "Where's Sam?"

"We know what Azazel did to your brother," Castiel answered, apparently ignoring Dean's question. "What we don't know is why or what his endgame is." He paused. "Azazel went to great lengths to cover that up."

"Where's Sam?" Dean asked in a much more serious voice.

"425 Waterman." Castiel answered obediently. "Your brother is headed down a dangerous road Dean," He continued as Dean grabbed his keys of the night stand, picked up his jacket and prepared to leave. "And we're not sure where it leads. So stop it." He made sure he was looking Dean dead in his eyes. "Or _we_ will."

"If something happened to my brother, I'll kill you." Dean said with a menacing smile.

"I assure you; you'll find him alive and well." Castiel called after him. "And Dean?" He turned back. "You should take your wife with you."

**xxx**

It was very early morning when Andie was awakened by her cell phone. She didn't get up in time to answer it but she did receive a very short and curt voicemail from Dean asking her to meet him at 425 Waterman immediately. The tone of his voice made her get moving and the fact that she'd fallen asleep on the couch in her clothes again certainly helped her get out of the motel quick smart. On her way to meet Dean, she wondered what was wrong. Something bad had to have happened; he sounded weird in his message. She assumed it must have something to do with Sam. She didn't have to wait too long to know for sure.

Dean was leaning against the bonnet of the Impala with a stony face, his eyes boring into her as he watched her get out of her truck and come towards him with her arms held out wide in expectation. "What'd I do now?" She asked.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dean replied, his voice shaking in anger.

"Tell you what?" Andie shrugged.

"Sam and Ruby." Dean spat.

"Oh…" Andie muttered sheepishly.

"Yeah, "_OH_!"" Dean repeated angrily. "I just watched Sammy use his weird, psychic power to exorcise a demon while Ruby cheered him on. So not only did he lie and tell me Ruby was dead; but _you _knew and didn't tell me!"

"It's not like-" Andie started.

"I can't believe this!" Dean yelled. Then he scoffed. "What am I saying?" He asked himself with a dry laugh. "Of course I can! This is turning into vintage Andie, isn't it? I'll just add it to the list of Things My Wife Knows But Doesn't Feel The Need To Tell Me!"

"Would you calm down?" Andie replied.

"Y'know, I could actually overlook everything else you haven't told me," Dean told her. "But this is _my_ _brother_, ok? Why the _hell_ wouldn't you tell me he's in league with a demon?!"

"Because he asked me not to." Andie retorted, although it didn't sound quite as solid an argument as it had before. "And because he said she's helping him. And because he's actually doing okay considering what he's been through. And Ruby's being somewhat useful for once."

Dean gave her a weird look. "Have you _completely_ lost your mind?!"

"Dean, do you have any idea how much I yelled at him when I found out about Ruby?" Andie snapped. "I wanted to kill him. I wanted to kill _her_! But he looked me in the eye and told me she was helping him. So I believed him. Dean, whatever they have going on; it's working."

"_Working_." Dean repeated as he backed away from her shaking his head. "You lie to me, Sam lies to me, Castiel lies to me," He headed for the driver's side door and opened it. "I dunno why it surprises me anymore."

"Dean," Andie called after him. "Come on; you're over-reacting."

"Over-reacting?!" Dean slammed his door from the outside and stormed back over to her. "Over-reacting?! She's a demon, Andie! How are you okay with this?!"

"Maybe because I understand what he must've been going through." Andie replied. "Dean, when you died…I…I couldn't cope as well as I wanted to. But I had Cassidy. Sam…had no one." She tried not to dwell on the memory. "So if Ruby found a way to get him back to some form of normality after his whole world was ripped out from under him, then maybe you should just be grateful."

Dean winced at the very thought of being grateful for anything a demon had done. "Y'know what, Andie?" he managed to keep his voice steady even though he was seething with anger at that moment. "I can't look at you right now." He turned away from her and yanked open his car door.

"Oh, come on, Dean!" Andie hollered to his back. But he didn't answer. He just slammed the door again, started the Impala and drove away. "Dean." she called uselessly at the rear of the quickly disappearing Chevy. "Dammit." She cursed bitterly.

**xxx**

Andie didn't see the Winchesters again for another two weeks. And in that time all she really thought about was how messed up everything had become because she was too stubborn or proud to do anything about it. Dean being back wasn't his fault. Hadn't she wanted him rescued no matter the cost? Why was she so resistant to him? _Because it's too hard_, she told herself, _being around Dean is too hard…_. She felt like a child; being petty and trivial. What pained her most was that through all of this, Dean had been nothing but…well, Dean to her. He hadn't change and perhaps that was what scared her most. Even Dean should have been affected by Hell; Andie was very sure he was keeping the lid on that secret tightly sealed.

When Andie neared the end of her second week without hearing from either Winchester, she decided she'd just have to man-up and be the first to reach out. She'd created this little rift between her and Dean but now, when Dean was really irritated, she saw the other side of the argument and realized; she was a bitch.

Even with that little affirmation, Andie knew she would never go back to how she used to be. She thought back to how she'd been the year before, giggling with Dean in that garden and kissing like teenagers. It felt like a million years ago, not a few months. She'd let her guard down back then; that was a mistake she refused to repeat. But that didn't mean she had to be a total, utter bitch that was impossible to live with. There had to be a way she could help Dean, as Castiel seemed determined to make her do, and spend time with him without snapping at him every few seconds. And Andie was sure she'd figured out what that way was.

Using her still strong mental locating ability, Andie picked up that Sam and Dean were headed for Transylvania so she powered up Cass's truck, which Andie had nicknamed Bapi after she'd watched an old Spanish children's movie about a truck named Bapi who could talk and eventually saved the town, and headed over the state line. It didn't take her long to track them down thanks to the Impala that was, as always, a giant beacon to their location. She found Dean alone outside a motel with his head under the hood of the old car fiddling with the innards of the engine. He did a double take when he realized it was Andie pulling up into the space beside him, but he didn't greet her.

There was an awkward few minutes of quiet as Andie leant against the side of Bapi and watched as Dean tinkered with his car. He was just wearing jeans and a grease smeared, white t-shirt with sleeves that hugged his biceps ever so nicely. Sighing as she realized she would have to break the silence, Andie spoke up. "I should've told you about Sam and Ruby." She said. "You were right. He's your brother. You deserved to know." She sighed. "I'm sorry." She added quietly.

"Huh…" Dean grunted as he wiped his hands on an old rag. "That's really hard for you to admit, isn't it?" A smirk played on his lips.

"Yes it is." Andie agreed. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep a promise to one Winchester, when the other one is so mad at you?"

"I'm not mad at you," Dean told her tossing the rag aside. "I'm just…" He trailed off.

"Generally mad?" Andie finished for him. "Yeah, I know the feeling…" She mumbled, taking his small smile as an invitation and joining him in front of the Impala. "What's wrong with her?"

"Just tuning her up after a long drive." Dean replied. "So," He went back to work. "Are you here for the case?"

"Hm?" Andie raised her eyebrows at him.

"Dead guy found drained of all his blood and puncture wounds," Dean answered. "Eyewitness swears it was a vampire."

"A vampire sighting in Pennsylvania near Halloween?" Andie sighed. "It's been done."

"Well, it's also Oktoberfest." Dean smirked. "Beer and wenches? Whadda ya say?"

"I say nay." Andie smirked back and shoved her hands into her back pockets. "I should get going anyway."

"Get going?" Dean repeated with a furrow of his brow. "Wait, you really didn't know about the case?"

"No." Andie replied; wondering what he was getting at.

"So you came all the way to Pennsylvania to apologize to me?"

Andie frowned; he really seemed to like this idea. "Yeah, don't be lookin' so happy over there." She warned him. "Anyway, sounds like you have this case handled."

"Still, couldn't you use some fun in your life?" Dean asked, already knowing the answer was a resounding yes.

"I dunno…" Andie was very skeptical; this could turn into the kind of situation she was trying so hard to avoid.

"I'll buy your first drink." Dean offered.

"Deal." Andie answered immediately. After all, who could turn down a free beer? Especially for Oktoberfest?

**xxx**


	11. Chapter 11: Vulnerable

**Chapter 11**

_Vulnerable_

Andie made her way to Oktoberfest that evening. Sam and Dean had arrived there awhile before under the guise of FBI Agents, but Andie was just going as a regular civilian for once. As she entered the over the top town proclaiming the German celebration, Andie felt like a genius surrounded by idiots. Every second person she passed was wearing some kind of celebratory garb and half of them had a severe case of beer-breath. Through the windows of one of the many bars crowded with people, Andie spied Dean and Sam at a table. Their handsome suits stood out with the lederhosen and barmaid uniforms swimming around the floor.

For the first time in a long time, Andie entered that bar feeling out of place. Her well-loved jeans with the rips in the knees and tears at the cuffs teamed with her simple black t-shirt seemed foreign in the sea of over-powering colour before her. Pushing that aside, Andie maneuvered past a table of drunkards towards the Winchesters. "Hey," She greeted them. "So what's the deal?

"Hoax." Sam answered her with a shrug. "See that guy over there?" He pointed to an inebriated looking fellow in a corner of the bar. "He's the one who started the rumors."

"I see…" Andie glanced at the intoxicated gentleman with skepticism; he certainly didn't seem like the kind of guy to be taken seriously.

"Just some goth-psycho wannabe." Sam added. "Definitely not our kinda case."

"But who cares?" Dean spoke up with a smirk. "Room's paid for and it's Oktoberfest."

"Yeah, well," Sam glanced around at the loud patrons around them. "I think I'm gonna go get some sleep."

"Suit yourself." Dean took a seat at an open booth and flagged a waitress down ordering two beers.

"I'll see ya," Sam smiled at Andie before heading out of the bar.

"Bye." Andie replied as she slid into the booth across of Dean. "A little heads up woulda been nice," She told him. "I booked a hotel, too."

"Oktoberfest." He said again, as if this explained everything, as the waitress, whose nametag read Jamie, came over and set two beers down in front of them.

"Yeah, well I…" Andie trailed off and smirked when she caught Dean ogling the waitress's bulging chest. Andie couldn't blame him really; they were exploding out of her corset so much even Andie was drawn to them. But she couldn't resist the temptation to taunt Dean. "I'm sorry; apparently her boobs have something more important to say so I'll just wait until they're finished."

"Come on, Morgan, you know you'll always be my number one girl." Dean told her as the waitress strutted away. "Gotta work on that jealousy, baby."

"Don't call me Morgan." She scolded him. "And Jealous? Oh yeah; that's what it is. Oh Dean," She put on an overly syrupy voice. "Dean please look at my boobs." She pushed her chest towards him and he quite happily stared directly at them. "Stop lookin' at my boobs!" She shielded herself.

Dean raised his hands in surrender and leant backwards. "Hmm…" He mused. "Kinda glad that case didn't pan out. Beer and bar wenches; that's a good day."

"I don't think women today would react well to the whole 'wench' thing." Andie teased him.

Dean took the challenge. "Hey bar wench!" He hollered at Jamie. "How's about another beer?"

"Coming up, good Sir!" She cheerily called back to him.

Andie rolled her eyes. "Remind me to thank her for setting my gender back a thousand years." She sighed and glanced around the bar. "Oh my God." She couldn't stop herself saying as she turned her head and covered her face when she spotted a face long forgotten in the crowd near the restrooms.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Your five o'clock; did he see me?" Andie asked him. "Kinda tall guy, brown hair, about your age; tell me when he looks away."

Dean craned his neck and watched the man disappear into the bathroom. "He's in the John." He told her.

"Oh, good." Andie breathed a sigh of relief and went back to her drink.

"Who is he?" Dean inquired.

"Hm?" Andie looked up innocently. "Oh, he's no one." She replied.

"Morgan," Dean said warningly. "Explain."

"He's just this guy." Andie answered vaguely.

"Explain better." Dean pressed.

Andie sighed. "Ok, I met him in a bar, like three months ago when I was driving around trying to get your ass outta hell," She told him with quick glances at the bathroom door to make sure he didn't come out. "I needed a place to crash so he let me sleep on his floor."

"Floor?" Dean repeated hoping that it wasn't a euphemism.

"Oh, it wasn't like that." Andie swatted a dismissive hand at him. "He was drunk outta his mind, I tossed him in his bed and I slept in his living room. Anyway, I took off before he woke up but when he did he realized that his car had kinda been…" She fiddled with her bracelet. "Stripped for parts."

Knowing that wasn't the full truth, Dean pressed on. "And?"

"And there is a _slight_ chance I _may_ have stolen them." She admitted.

"Atta girl." Dean took a victory sip of beer. "Well, you're not truly a hunter til you've scalped a car so welcome." He tipped his drink to her.

"Thank you." She replied sarcastically as Jamie came over and set another beer down in front of Dean. "Can I get you anything else?" She asked Andie.

"I'm good." She tapped her tall beer glass with her fingernail.

"Yeah, she's not really supposed to drink anyway," Dean smiled at Jamie. "I knew the second I broke her out of the nunnery she'd be craving the liquor but," He shrugged as Andie glared at him. "What are you gonna do?"

Jamie giggled. "You're funny."

"Oh, no," Andie spoke up. "He's really not; it's just a cheery side effect from all that Viagra he takes."

Dean cleared his throat loudly. "Well, I'd love to let you make up your own mind," he continued with Jamie. "What time do you get off?"

"Ha-ha." Jamie replied. "Like I said. _Funny_." She left them alone.

Andie laughed. "Ha! Now _that_ was funny."

"Viagra?" Dean snapped under his breath.

"A nunnery?" Andie retaliated.

Dean chewed his lip. "Call it even."

"Done." She agreed.

"Man…" Dean eyed Jamie as she walked away. "It is time to right some wrongs."

"What's that now?" Andie asked.

"Ok, look," He leant forward so no one could overhear. "I came outta the furnace with a clean slate. Literally. I don't have any of my old scars. No bullet wounds or knife cuts or mis-shapened bones from all the breaks. I mean, my hide is a smooth as a baby's bottom. Which leads me to conclude," He smiled. "Sadly…that my virginity is now intact."

Andie couldn't help but laugh, he seemed so proud to have come to this conclusion. "Continue." She urged him.

"I have been rehymenated." He took another victory sip.

Andie laughed again. "Dean, an angel could pull you outta hell," She conceded. "But no one could do _that_ to _you_."

"I have been rehymenated!" Dean announced again. "And the dude will not abide." He smiled a wry grin. "How about it?" He raised his eyebrows at her. "Offering you the first bite of my cherry here"

"Well, as enticing as you make that sound," Andie leant forwards and smirked. "I'm not gonna have sex with you. Feel free to de-hymenate yourself with whatever wench or whore catches your eye; but it ain't gonna be me."

Dean cocked his head to the side. "Did my wife just give me permission to see other people?" he asked.

"Your wife gave 'the dude' permission to do whatever he needs to do." Andie corrected him. "So," She noticed that he had a beer foam moustache. "If you're going to chat up this bar whore," She reached over the table and wiped his upper lip with her thumb. "I'll go catch up with Sam." With that she got to her feet and left him alone.

Dean watched Andie leave with great interest. That was the first form of intimate touch Dean had received from Andie since he'd come back. He'd forgotten what it felt like. It was very clear to Dean that all he wanted was Andie, but she wouldn't reciprocate. Jamie, on the other hand…she seemed flirty enough. Dean didn't want to hurt Andie in anyway, but he had the feeling she wouldn't care. She was so moody he never knew what version of her he was going to get. Today he got Happy Andie but he knew how quickly she could turn back into Stonecold Andie. Maybe it was best to hedge his bets this time.

Whilst dodging people to get towards the door, Andie turned and saw Dean making a beeline for Jamie at the bar. Without Andie around, she seemed a lot more receptive to his advances. A wave of annoyance hit Andie._ Not jealousy,_ she told herself, _definitely not that._ Territorial, maybe. She was so busy watching them she forgot to keep moving and was suddenly being tugged on the arm by a stranger.

"Excuse me?" He asked her.

Andie turned to see the face of the man she'd ripped off all those months ago staring down at her. "Oh, no." She mumbled.

"Do I know you?" He asked her.

Quick as a flash, Andie played along. "Nope, don't think so." She answered with a smile.

"You look familiar…" He stared at her intently. "My name's Chris." He held his hand out to her.

"Andie." She shook his hand firmly in her own. "Nice to meet you for the first time."

"Yeah, I guess you just remind me of someone." He laughed, clearly dismissing her as wave of déjà vu. "Well, have a good night." He smiled again.

Andie hadn't taken a good look at him before, seeing as though Bapi had been desperate for new parts at the time, but Chris was quite the looker with his chocolate brown hair and stunning blue eyes. _I should pay more attention_, Andie told herself. It was then that she turned back to the bar and saw Dean laughing with Jamie. Another pang stabbed through Andie's chest. She'd seen him flirt a million times and normally just rolled her eyes or muttered 'idiot' under her breath yet loud enough for him to hear, but this was different. Before he'd been flirting just for a laugh, this time he was flirting with a purpose. And Andie didn't like it. A bit of German courage lurched through her veins, which Andie attributed to her oversized beer, and she headed towards the bar determined to make her presence as Dean's wife, as divided as they may be right now, very obvious.

"Wow; that was fast." The waitress was cooing as she watched Dean make a note of something in his notepad.

Andie slid into a barstool one seat away from her husband. "It bodes well for him that speed impresses you." she said loudly.

Dean choked on his beer.

"Can I help you?" Jamie asked, a little taken aback that someone had interrupted her flirting.

"No, I'm just his wife." She told her holding up her left hand and showing her wedding ring.

"Estranged wife." Dean said to Jamie.

"Andie." She grinned Jamie then flagged down a wiry haired brunette waitress beside her. "Can I get some vodka? Straight up. And don't waste any space with that ice."

"I should get back to work…" Jamie said picking up a tray of beer bottles. "I'll see you later." She came out from behind the bar and headed towards a table of hollering customers.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked his wife.

"Oktoberfest." Andie replied as the brunette waitress set her drink down in front of her.

"Hey, you got a problem with this," He gestured to Jamie and himself. "Just say so."

"Dean, I don't care, ok?" Andie replied as she sipped her drink. "Really. Whore it up, if you feel like it. That's your prerogative."

Jamie came back to the bar with an empty tray. Clearly very taken with Dean, she smiled at him whilst paying no attention to Andie. "About tonight…" She said. "Sorry, but I promised Lucy a girl's night out." She nodded to the curly haired brunette who had served Andie. "Besides, no self-respecting bar wench lets herself get picked up on the first try."

"Self-respecting," Andie scoffed under her breath, ignoring the niggle of envy creeping into her veins.

Jamie turned to her with a steely glare. "Sorry, what was your name?" she smiled sweetly.

Without a second thought, Andie whipped her knife out of the back of her jeans and stabbed it into the bar. She carved an 'A' into the mahogany. "A." She said to Jamie who looked shocked. "N…D…I…E" She carved the final letter into the bar. "_Andie_." She glared into the waitresses eyes. "Savvy?" She pierced the knife into the bar, downed the last of her vodka and turned on her heel.

"Andie-" Dean called after her.

"Bite me." She called back over her shoulder.

"Your wife…she's a little…harsh." Jamie said to Dean.

"You have _no_ idea." Dean muttered worriedly as he watched Andie leave.

**xxx**


	12. Chapter 12: The Show Must Go On

**Chapter 12**

_The Show Must Go On_

As it turned out, Andie's plan of ditching town first thing the next morning never went ahead. Her cell phone ring woke her early that morning; it was Sam telling her that the case was back on. Some girl had apparently witnessed her boyfriend being mauled to death by a werewolf that she claimed was just like the ones from the old movies. Intrigued, Andie agreed to meet the brother's at the morgue. She yanked on her ripped jeans and tossed on a clean, checked button-up shirt before she sped off in her truck, Bapi. She wondered as she drove what had happened after she left the bar. Had Dean gone home with Jamie? Had he declined? Or was he still trying?

Andie met Sam and Dean outside the morgue and the three of them lied their way inside. Sam and Dean used their FBI badges and nominated Andie as a specialist in animal attacks and the three of them were let into the morgue to examine the body.

"First a Dracula, now a full-on movie type wolf man?" Dean said as they walked over to the wall freezer where the bodies were kept. "What the hell is going on in this town?"

"Here." Sam identified the drawer of the victim and yanked it open. Out slid the body bag which Sam promptly unzipped only to release the foul smell of decay as well as the image of a young man's body that had been shredded almost beyond recognition.

"Alright…whatever did this wasn't a psycho wannabe." Sam noted as he used his pen to inspect the wounds.

"Ugh, do you _have_ to do that?" Andie asked turning away in disgust.

"Come on, you've seen dead guys before." Dean reminded her whilst turning a shade of green.

"Yeah, but I don't go ferreting around in their bodies afterwards like Sam here." Andie pointed out.

"Take a look at these bite marks," Sam told them. "Right down to the bone—and deeper."

"Strong enough to tear a man apart limb from limb; could be a werewolf." Dean conceded.

"Yeah, except look," Sam dug his hand further into the open chest cavity. "Heart's still in one piece; they never leave the heart behind."

"Thus, I reiterate," Dean said. "What the hell is going on?"

"I was hoping you could tell me." A voice said from behind them.

Andie turned to see a heavy-set sheriff coming towards them with a file in his hands.

"I just got a rush job back from the lab," he told them. "Those fibers we found on the body?" He handed a baggie of hair up. "Canine. Wolf hairs."

Andie felt a stabbing pain through her forehead. "I'm getting a migraine." She rubbed her temple.

"Me too." Dean echoed. "Let's go eat."

**xxx**

It didn't matter how many times Andie saw a dead body it always made her sick. Not Dean and Sam, however, they dove into cheeseburgers like it was their last meal on death row. They were eating at the same bar they had been the night before, although there were fewer drunks this time of the morning. Some, but not that many.

"I dunno," Andie spoke up as she stole some fries off of dean's plate. "It's like we've stumbled across a real-life rendition of Dracula Meets Wolfman."

"Wolfman seems real enough." Sam said. "Make Dracula seem a little less impossible, I guess."

"Yeah, but werewolves don't grow wolf hair," Dean reminded his brother. "That's just a myth." He sighed. "So, what, we've got a vampire and a werewolf Monster Mashing this town?"

"Looks like you guys will be here for awhile." Jamie said as she came over and set two beers down in front of the brothers. "I heard about Rick Deacon." She added sorrowfully.

"Yeah, this case just got weird enough for our department." Dean answered her with a smile.

"Drinks are on me." Jamie grinned at him.

"What about me?" Andie spoke up, indicating that she had not been given a free drink.

"What _about_ you?" Jamie raised her eyebrows. "What about the bar?" She pointed to where Andie had left her 'mark' the night before.

"Oh, right," Andie clasped her hand to her head. "Do you still have my knife? 'Cos I will need that back."

"The Manager wants to speak to you." Jamie replied smugly.

"Ok, well then bring him on out." Andie told her. "I'll wait right here for him." Jamie walked off. "Ok," Andie turned to the brothers. "I'm so not waiting right here, sounds like you've got this all covered anyways," she slapped both Sam and Dean on the back in unison. "_Ciao_."

"Hey, I ain't payin' for no damage!" Dean called after her. She merely waved in response.

As it turned out, Dean and Sam couldn't stay much longer either. After Jamie came back sans the Manager, she agreed to meet Dean that night at twelve after her shift. Dean hastily agreed as Sam rushed him out the door when word of another weird attack came round. This time; it was a mummy. The brothers used their FBI badges to get into the crime scene and started scoping out the crypt, that did look very convincing, for clues. Dean checked out the floor around the coffin while Sam checked inside. It didn't take him long to find something.

"Dean," Sam ripped a tag off the coffin and held it up to him. "This sarcophagus isn't ancient." He showed him the tag which read 'The FX Shop Prophouse'. "It's from a prophouse in Philly."

Dean made a face and spotted something near his feet and squatted down on his haunches. "Well, I guess that fits with the bucket of dry ice he was keeping nearby." He held up the small metal bucket with icy smoke flowing over the sides.

"He's making his own special effects?" Sam guessed skeptically.

"A mummy with a good sense of showmanship." Dean quipped.

Sam paused and looked around. "This is stupid." He finally proclaimed.

Dean glanced at his watch. "Dammit, Jamie. I'm late." He hurriedly got to his feet. "You good here with the mummy and the crazy…?" He gestured to the coffin.

"Yeah, sure." Sam nodded. "But you're really going to go?"

"Dude, re-hymenation's waving at me here," Dean explained. "All I gotta do is jump that fence." He grinned.

"Ok, well, what about Andie?" Sam raised his eyebrows.

"You mean my brick wall of a wife?" Dean shook his head. "Until she gets over whatever it is she needs to get over, which sadly isn't me, I'm not gonna even try."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"She wants me. And I know she wants me. And she knows she wants me." Dean tried to explain. "But she won't admit she wants me because, I dunno, she thinks it's too girly or something, you follow me?"

"Just go." Sam sighed.

"Yeah." Dean bolted away.

**xxx**

Meeting up with Jamie didn't at all go as Dean planned. At least not at first. When he arrived at the bar, he was shocked to see her being attacked by a man dressed in a Dracula costume. He managed to fight him off and grab the souvenir of his ear and belt, but the fiend ran away. One of the stranger things was, Dracula kept calling Jamie "Mena" and referred to Dean as "Mr. Harker".

Jamie, who had locked up the bar after her shift, let Dean in so they could recover from their attack. Dean phoned Sam and told him about it, and also to bring Andie along, so he soon joined them. "Hey, you guys ok?" Sam asked when he came into the bar.

"Yeah, I think so." Dean answered. "Where's Andie?"

"Couldn't get a hold of her." Sam replied. "What is that?" he pointed to something gross and slimy on a towel beside Dean.

"Oh, I think I know what's going on." Dean told him pushing the towel in his direction. "Part of it, at least. The ear part; ripped it off of Dracula's head. Touch it."

Sam hesitantly reached out and touched the ear. "Urgh…" He murmured with a grimace.

"Feel familiar to you?" Dean asked with raised eyebrows.

"Aw, man." Sam realized.

Dean nodded. "Skin of a Shape Shifter. Just like Saint Louis and just like Milwaukee. Of course," He cocked his head. "This one's all new buckets of crazy. Oh and," Dean pulled the Dracula's belt out of his coat pocket. "I pulled this off during the fight. Look at the label on the ribbon."

Sam scoffed as he looked over the belt. "It's a costume rental." He read the tag.

"All three monsters, Dracula, Wolfman and the Mummy, are all the same critter." Dean informed his brother. "Which means we need to catch this freak before he Creature-From-The-Black-Lagoon's somebody." He took a sip from his drink.

"So," Jamie spoke up. "You guys are like Mulder and Scully or something? And, what, the X-Files are real?"

"Naw, the X-files is a TV show," Dean told her. "_This_ is real." He smiled.

Jamie returned a nervous smile that said she clearly was still in awe about all of this newfound supernatural information.

"So, the stage craft, the costuming," Sam mused. "It's like he's trying to re-enact his favourite monster movie moments – right down to the bloody murders."

"Wait a second," Jamie interrupted. "Then who the hell is Mena?"

"Yeah, that's what he called Jamie." Dean informed Sam. "And he called me Mr. Harker."

Sam laughed a little. "They're characters from the movies and the novels." He explained. "Mena is Dracula's intended bride and Harker is her fiancé that stands in the way. Seems like he's fixating on you," Sam said to Jamie. "Like he wants you for his bride."

"Oh, well…lucky me." Jamie smiled and took a long drink from her beer bottle.

"But to fixate on you," Sam continued. "My guess is that the shape shifter has to have seen you before; been around you?" He paused. "Has anyone strange come to town recently?"

"I dunno…it's Oktoberfest, I'm a bartender." She shrugged. "I see lots of strange people." Then she paused. "Wait a second…there is Ed."

"Ed Brewer?" Dean asked.

Jamie nodded. "Yeah, he moved here about a month ago and Lucy swears he has a crush on me…he comes in almost every night." She saw the look between Sam and Dean. "But, y'know I don't think he's the type of guy-"

"Where does Ed live?" Dean pressed.

"I dunno." Jamie admitted. "But he works at the old movie theatre; he's the projectionist there."

Dean jabbed his thumb towards the door indicating to Sam that this was their guy and he should go check it out.

"Take care of Mena." Sam told him.

"Yeh." Dean agreed as his brother took off. He then spent the better part of the next hour going over these 'monster things' with Jamie as she tried to get her head around things.

"So…monsters are real." She asked as she started pacing.

"Some of them, yeah." Dean confirmed as he loosened his tie.

"And a shape shifter…he can turn into different people." Jamie continued.

"Yeah," Dean nodded. "Except this one's turning into Great Monsters of Screenland and that's a new one for me."

Jamie smirked at him. "You're not really FBI, are you?" She said it as a statement, not a question.

"Not so much." Dean admitted.

"So this is what you do?" She asked. "You and your partner tromp across the country on your own dime until you come across some horrible nightmare to fight?" She paced back up the bar again.

Dean frowned. "Some people paint." He offered.

"Wow." She said.

"What?" Dean asked.

"That must suck." She said blatantly. "I mean, you're giving up your life for this, like…terrible…I don't know…responsibility."

Dean sighed a smile and took another drink. "Well…these last few years…I started thinkin' that way." He told her honestly. "And it started…I guess, weighing on me." He stopped there, not sure how to continue. He didn't think she'd react well if he told her he'd literally been to Hell for a few months. He thought of a better way to phrase it. "A little while ago…I had this…" He chewed his lip. "Let's call it a near-death experience. _Very _near."

Jamie looked concerned, stopped pacing and sat beside him.

"And, uh, when I came to…things were different." Dean continued. "My life's been different. I realize that I help people…not just help them, though, I save them. I guess it's awesome." He turned to Jamie's sweet face, she was giving him her full attention. "It's kinda like a gift. Like a mission." He laughed lightly. "Kinda like a mission from God."

"So, does that make you…some kinda monk or something?" Jamie said quietly as she edged closer to him. "Y'know, celibate?

"God, I hope not." Dean muttered before kissing her full on the mouth. It was only a matter of seconds before Dean pulled away from her feeling incredibly guilty.

Jamie sighed. "You still have feelings for her, don't you?" she asked in a low voice. "Andie."

Dean nodded. "I mean," He shrugged. "She's my wife." He laughed. In all reality, Andie was as far from a wife she could possibly be.

"You said you got married really fast…" Jamie reminded him.

"Yeah, we did." Dean confirmed. "But that doesn't mean that…look..."

"It's ok." Jamie smiled. "You should tell her."

Dean scoffed. "Yeah; I'll get right on that."

"What?"Jamie asked.

"You don't know Andie like I do," Dean told her.

"Maybe I don't." Jamie conceded. "But come on; the woman carved her name into my bar to prove a point."

"I think that point was more for you than for me, sweetheart." Dean told Jamie with a chuckle.

"What was she like then? I mean, if that wasn't how she normally is, then what was she like before?" She gestured to the bar. "What made you want to marry her?"

"Ahh…that's where it gets complicated." Dean chose his words carefully. "I guess we thought…getting married would be the solution to a problem. It wasn't. And we can't seem to move on from that…" He ran his thumb around the mouth of his beer bottle. "She's…she's different. It's like she's living but she's not-…she's not really alive, y'know?"

"You didn't answer my question." Jamie smiled.

Dean sighed and smiled back. There was no way he could explain his messed up relationship with Andie to this sweetheart of a girl; he wasn't sure he could make sense of it in his own head let alone spill his heart out to a stranger. But that didn't mean he had to lie. "She made me laugh a lot." He answered. "She's never boring; ever. She's the only woman I've met who can eat an entire chicken. And she has this way about her where it's like I'm talking to a buddy…but he's really a hot chick." Dean finished the last of his beer. "Sometimes I dunno why she's wasting her time with me, y'know?

"Because she loves you?" Jamie offered.

Dean scoffed again. "Well, she coulda fooled me."

"Maybe she's scared." Jamie offered.

Dean shook his head. "Andie doesn't get scared." He took a sip of his beer and realized that wasn't exactly true. When she's been haunted by her mother's ghost, she'd been terrified. In fact it was that same look of terror in her eyes Dean had seen as he said goodbye to her in his final moments that fateful day that now seemed like forever ago.

"Trust me; every woman gets scared. Even the tough ones." Jamie explained. "In fact; they're usually the ones you have to watch out for; they don't want anyone to know how they feel so it manifests into something else." She chewed her bottom lip and glanced up at the bar. "In her case, I'd go with anger."

"That's funny." Dean mumbled.

"Oh!" Another voice called from the bar.

Dean and Jamie looked up to see the other waitress with the wiry, brown hair, Lucy, pocketing a small bottle of liquor behind the bar.

"I'm sorry, guys; I thought you were going out." Lucy said as she flashed a knowing grin at Jamie.

"It's ok." Jamie told her.

"I just came to borrow a bottle." She held up the liquor in her hands. "I kinda got something going on myself back at my…anyway, I'm just gonna go and get outta your hair." She grinned.

"No, seriously, Luce, it's fine." Jamie told her. "It's been a crazy night, come have a drink with us."

"Yeah, come have a drink, Luce." Dean echoed with mainly put on enthusiasm.

Lucy took a seat and listened intently as Jamie went over the nights events one more time. Lucy kept pouring Dean and Jamie shots with they both downed happily. "Oh, Jamie, that's horrible. Are you ok, honey?"

"Oh, I am fine." Jamie said with a sloppy, drunken smile. "The guy didn't even touch me. But Dean just flew right in and," She punched the air with a few shadow boxes. "Fought him off."

"Well, I didn't actually fly but I'm sure it seemed that way at the time." Dean replied.

Lucy blotted her lips on a napkin and set it on the table. She was a lot less bleary-eyed than her two drinking buddies.

"It was really, really somethin…" Jamie trailed off and closed her eyes.

"Jamie?" Dean said. She just smiled but didn't open her eyes.

"So, Dean," Lucy continued the conversation. "Are you like a black belt or what?"

Dean looked down at his glass and was hit with a sudden wave of dizziness. His vision started swimming and swirling around, he was unable to focus on anything.

"Well, I guess they train you to fight at the academy, right?" Lucy asked.

Dean looked up and saw Lucy smiling. He didn't hesitate and punched her heavily in the jaw. He then pushed Jamie, slurring inaudibility's, out of the booth and stood shakily in front of her. The second he had Jamie on her feet, she collapsed back into the booth.

"It's you, isn't it?" Dean asked as the shaky vision of Lucy got up off the floor. She glared up at Dean with her jaw clearly broken and swiftly pushed the bone back in so her face was just as it was. Dean reared back and kicked her in the stomach. She somersaulted back and landed on her haunches. "Aw, dammit." Dean cursed as another wave of dizziness came over him and caused him to stumble. He grabbed the bottle of liquor off the table. "What did you put in our drinks?" He grabbed the bottle by the neck and smashed the base of it on the table. "That's alright…." Dean tried to maneuver to Lucy. "I'll skin you myself."

Then he collapsed right onto the floor.

**xxx**

When Dean woke up, he knew he was strapped down. He was also wearing something he couldn't really see, but he it was incredibly uncomfortable. It took him a few moments to realize he was strapped down to a wooden plank with his limbs held in place with steel shackles, similar to the board Frankenstein was strapped to in the movie. One glance around the room told Dean that was exactly what this guy had been going for. There were tables of bubbling liquids in beakers and jars as well as wires hooked up to a bunch of machines. He spotted a painting on the wall, very clearly a picture of Lucy.

"She is very beautiful, no?" A heavy Transylvanian accent said to Dean. "Bride number three from the first film."

Snapping his neck back to the bottom of the stone staircase, Dean spied Dracula.

"She never got the acclaim that she deserved." Dracula continued as he stroked the painting with his fingers. "Which is why I chose her shape, her form, to move among the mortals unnoticed. To listen to the cricket's sounds of the living." He spun around a little making his cape twirl. "That is when I discovered my bride had been reborn in this century."

I can't get over what a pumpkin-pie-eyed crazy Sonuvabitch that you are." Dean laughed at him. He swanned over to Dean with his cape flowing behind him. "You're not Dracula!" Dean yelled. "You get that, right? Or even if you are Dracula," Dean considered as he wrenched his hands around in their chains. "What the hell's up with the mummy?!"

Dracula silenced him by punching him heavily in the jaw. "I am all monsters!" he said baring his vampire teeth.

Dean had had enough. "Life ain't a movie you sorry sack of sh-"

_CRACK!_

Dean was hit with another hearty punch in the mouth.

"Life…is…small." Dracula mused as he started circling Dean. "Meager. Messy. The movies are grand, simple. Elegant. I have chosen," He held his cape out wide at his sides. "Elegance."

Dean narrowed his eyes at him. "You think elegance is really the word for what you did to Marissa or Rick Deacon? Or any of the others?!"

"But of course." Dracula answered matter-of-factly. "It is a Monster Movie, after all."

"You do realize what happens at the end of _every_ Monster Movie, right?" Dean asked him.

"Ahhh…but _this_ movie." Dracula told him. "Is mine. And in it, the monster wins. The monster gets the girl. And the hero?" He moved over to a large switch on the wall that most of the wires seemed to be connected to. "He's…electrocuted. And tonight, Jonathan Harker, you will be my hero." He started reaching for the switch.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dean said quickly. But Dracula didn't stop. He didn't speed up either.

He slowly reached for the lever, edging closer and closer, just about to put his fingers to it when…

_Ding-dong!_

"Please," Dracula said to Dean as he retracted his hand from the lever. "Excuse me." He whipped his cape up so it covered his face and then fled up the stairs.

Dean rested his head backwards against the board and breathed a sigh of relief. It was short-lived however when he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps descending the stairs. These were lighter than Dracula's though, quieter. He breathed another relieved sigh when he saw her come into view. "Andie." He said.

Andie cocked her head when she saw Dean strapped down with metal shackles wearing very unforgiving lederhosen. "Nice outfit." She told him. "Does it come in hetero?" Then she was unable to stop herself from bursting out laughing. "Why are you wearing that?" She asked through guffaws.

"It highlights my ass – why do you think?! That freak dressed me in it." Dean answered bitterly. "Get me out of here." Andie folded her arms and walked towards him slowly, enjoying the sight very much and not shy about showing her glee. "What?" Dean growled.

"You look cute, is all." She could barely contain her smile.

"Shut up and get me outta here!" Dean yelled.

"Ok, ok, ok." Andie rolled her eyes and waved her hand using her power to free Dean. "There, ya happy?"

"How did you know I was here?" Dean asked, rubbing his wrists.

"Sam called, said this was a Shape Shifter," She nodded her head upwards to where the Dracula had disappeared to. "And that all remnants of your night with Jamie in the bar told him something bad had gone down. Now," She glanced around the room. "Where are the rest of the Von Trapp family?"

"You're not helping." Dean muttered his breath as he headed for the stone staircase.

"Oh, I respectfully disagree." Andie chuckled as she watched him leave. She suddenly burst out laughing again as Dean struggled to maintain his attitude in the lederhosen. "It's funny when it walks." She chuckled as she followed him.

**xxx**


	13. Chapter 13: Ever The Same

**Chapter 13**

_Ever The Same_

Dean and Andie met Sam at the top of the stairs. He handed Dean over a knife and the three of them set out to look for Dracula. They came to a door that had been bolted shut. Dean gestured to Andie to use her power. She didn't flinch at the opportunity and held her palm out to the door. It shattered off its hinges and fell heavily to the ground with a clank. She proudly grinned at the brother's before taking the lead through the doorway. They came to another door but it was ajar so Andie just opened it up. The first thing she saw was Jamie, unconscious on a bed wearing a beautiful white gown.

Sam hurried towards her but was tackled by Dracula who then tossed him clean across the room where he smashed through the wall. "You will never win, Van Helsing!" Dracula hollered at him.

Dean immediately lunged for Dracula but was cut short when he elbowed him in the face five times in succession. "And now you die, Harker."

Andie, not seeing a way around it, waved her hand at both Dean and Dracula and knocked them both clean off their feet.

Dracula lost his grip on Dean, but sprang to his feet and glared at Andie. "Seward? A woman? It shan't be."

"Oh, it be." Andie replied. But before she could use her power again, Dracula beat her to the punch. Literally. He gripped her wrists and punched her twice in the jaw before grabbing the collar of her jacket and threw her in the same direction as Dean.

Dean, who had been getting to his feet, was knocked down once more as Andie landed on top of him smacking her skull heavily on the ground. Dean's own head cracked against the floor as Dracula's menacing cackle echoed through the walls. Until suddenly…

_BANG! BANG!_

Two gunshots rang out and exploded through Dracula's chest. He looked stunned as he turned around to see a now conscious Jamie pointing Dean's gun, which had been lost in the scuffle, and looking quite stunned herself.

Dracula ran his hands over his wounds. "Silver." He mumbled as he started to stumble. "Twas…beauty…that killed the beast…" He said to Jamie. "No, Mena…do not weep." He sank into an old, leather chair. "Perhaps this…is how…the movie should end." He let out one final, breath and fell limp to one side.

"Jamie?" Dean asked her as he got up. "How ya doin?"

Tossing the gun aside, Jamie nodded nervously. "Ok, I think…"

"Oi." Andie called from the ground. "Help me up." She reached her hands to Dean and he helped her to her feet. "Sam?" Andie called as she spotted his body still in the rubble of the wall. "Oh!" She bolted over to him and started shaking him.

"Wha?!" Sam woke up with a start. "What's going on?"

"It's ok, we took care of it." Andie told him. "You good?" She inspected his head for injuries but he seemed ok, just a large bump but no blood.

"Yeah." Sam muttered. "Dean and Jamie?"

"They're fine." Andie replied as she looked and saw Jamie throwing her arms around Dean and hugging him tightly. A physical knot pained its way through her chest.

"Sorry." Sam muttered. "You wanna go somewhere?"

"Actually, I have somewhere to be." Andie got up off the ground. "You call me if you need me." With that she took off out the door so she didn't have to look at Dean and Jamie anymore.

**xxx**

Wandering the streets of a town she didn't know wasn't exactly the smartest idea Andie had ever had but seeing as she wound up in a cute little dive bar she was willing to let her lapse in judgment slide. She down a couple of glasses of vodka, made a slurred call to Cassidy, then ordered another drink before she realized she was being watched by a young man at the end of the bar.

"I knew I remembered you." Chris said as he slid over a couple of bar stools so he was sitting beside her. "You owe me about a thousand bucks, you know."

Andie stared him up and down and realized who she was talking to. "Oh, no." She mumbled. "Look, I am having a banger of a couple of days here so…just put whatever you want on my tab," She indicated this to the bartender. "And let's call it even."

Chris sighed deeply as he watched Andie gulp down another drink. "Fine." He agreed. "Why are you drinking alone at a place like this anyway?"

"Ohhh…" Andie exhaled deeply. "My husband's an asshole."

Chris smiled a little. "What did he do?"

"He hit on some bar back in German town." Andie replied. Then she realized she'd misspoken. "W_hore._" She corrected herself. "Some bar _whore_."

"Your husband was hitting on someone else?" Chris repeated. "Dude; that bites. He sounds like an ass."

"Nah, it's not all his fault," Andie replied as she signaled for another drink. "I told him to do it. But did he have to do it with _her_? Some chick with a flawless face and stunning figure…I wouldn't kick her outta bed; that's for damn sure." She noticed the women at the end of the bar looking at her. "What the hell are you looking at?!" She yelled.

"I get the feeling you're kinda a handful as a wife." Chris told her.

Andie gave him a strange look. "Are you *hic* coming onto me?"

**xxx**

Sam had been prepping for a night to himself in he and Dean's motel room since he'd gone to take Jamie home so he was surprised when he saw his brother come back just after midnight. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Dean replied innocently as he tossed his coat onto a chair.

"Well, you took Jamie home…" Sam reminded him. "I figured I wouldn't see you 'til the morning…"

Dean looked at his brother than quickly looked away. "She invited me in, I said no." He said quietly.

"_You_ said _no_ to Jamie?" Sam repeated incredulously. "You?"

"So sue me." Dean replied sinking heavily onto his bed. "She was not so thrilled. But why would she be? I just hindered her chances of getting some hardcore Dean-Love."

"There's an image I could live without." Sam muttered rubbing his temple.

"Come on, I-" Dean was cut off when his cell phone rang. He removed it from his pocket and wondered who'd be calling at this time of night.

"Who is it?" Sam asked.

"I dunno; don't recognize the number." Dean replied as he flipped open his phone. "Hello?"

"What did you do?" An accusatory female voice snapped back at him.

"Who is this?" Dean snapped in reply.

"It's Cassidy; you moron." She sniped again. "What did you do to Andie?"

"Cass, I didn't do anything to her." Dean replied, opening his eyes wide at Sam to signal who was on the phone. "Why; is she ok?"

"She just called me drunk out of her mind saying something about you and some hooker called James?" Cass told him angrily. "What, are you gay now?"

"Where is she?" Dean asked as he reached for his jacket again.

"Some bar called the Shallow Bar or Shadow Bar; I dunno I was only half listening. Bewitched is on and they just swapped Darrin's over." She said. "You better fix this."

"Ok; thanks." Dean hung up the phone.

"What's going on?" Sam asked getting to his feet.

"What was the name of that bar we passed on the way into town? Shadow something?" Dean asked.

"Sal's Wallow." Sam answered. "Is everything ok?"

"I dunno yet." Dean retreated through the front door.

**xxx**

Andie downed yet another shot and turned her drinking buddy. "Take my advice Chris; don't be named Dean, alright?" She told him pointing a shaky finger in his direction. "'Cos Dean sounds like Dan, and Dan rhymes with man and men are bastards; and _he _is a bastard, do you get me?"

"Not really…" He watched her as she filled up another shot. "So what does he do?"

"He's a professional idiot." Andie answered as she rested her head on the bar and played with her straw. "But he's very good at his job."

Dean came into Sal's Wallow and immediately saw Andie slumped over at the bar next to some guy who looked equally as drunk. Dean recognized him as the man Andie had been avoiding earlier; although right then they looked much friendlier with each other. "Andie?" Dean called to her as he walked in her direction. "Honey, come on; let's go." He tried to untangle her from her seat.

"This him?" Chris jeered a thumb at Dean.

Andie lifted her head sleepily and tried to focus on Dean. "Yeah, that's him." She looked to Chris. "You should fight him." She lifted her glass to take another drink.

"Ok, let's put this down," Dean took her drink and set it aside. That was when he noticed the empty bottle of tequila on its side in front of Chris. "Aw, man, did you give her tequila?"

"She told me to order whatever I want." Chris told him happily as he rested his head in his hands.

"Andie, you can't handle tequila, you know that." He told her. She merely tried to put her finger to his nose in response. "Ok, let's get you outta here." He swatted her hand aside and tried to help her up again.

"Dean!" Andie looked at him like she'd just spotted him. "What are you doing here?!" She looked happily at Chris. "It's Dean," She told Chris shoving his arm. "This is Dean and Dean is a good man." She slung her arm around Dean's shoulder and leant her forehead against his. "A real good Dean -- man. I love you, man." She lifted herself onto Dean's body and lunged forwards to kiss him.

"Whoa, ok, enough." Dean wrenched her off his face and got her standing. "Let's go, alright?"

"Sure!" Andie agreed cheerfully. "Whatever you want, man." She went to sit back down on her stool but missed it completely and fell straight onto her backside. "Whoa," She looked concernedly at Dean. "Are you ok?"

"Wow, you are so drunk." Dean muttered as he grabbed her by her wrists and pulled her to her feet.

''Hey!" Andie went from happy to angry in a second. "You don't even…you don't even...you don't even…wait," She looked confused. "Is it Wednesday?

"Yes, its Wednesday," Dean agreed as he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, figuring it was just easier at this stage. "And I'm talking you home."

"No; you are." She replied with a high-pitched laugh. "Bye Chris!" She slapped him on the back as she walked past him.

When they got outside, Andie got a little restless in Dean's arms. "Put me down a sec, I wanna see if my legs work." She told him. Dean set her down; it was easier than dealing with her constant wriggling. Andie stared at her legs. "Oh; look at that!"

"Ok, what the hell are you doing?" Dean asked her.

"What?" She asked with a blank look and a rosy-cheeked grin.

"I knew you weren't ok with me seeing Jamie." Dean told her. "And instead of admitting it I find you here," he gestured to the bar. "At Craphole Pennsylvania, drinking with some guy you stole from. "

Though he was probably expecting a more profound response, all Andie gave him was the same look and another: "What?" With a drunken laugh tacked on at the end.

Dean sighed; clearly he was delusional to think he was going to make any progress right then and there. "Ok; I have to get you back to the hotel room so you can sleep this off." He went to pick her up again but she shooed his hands away.

"Hey; you need to loosen up, man." She told him as she started waving her arms around freely in the air to a silent song.

"I think you're loose enough for the both of us." Dean mumbled as he watched her in disbelief. Tanked-off-her-face-Andie was a personality Dean hadn't had the pleasure of meeting yet.

"What?!" Andie dropped her arms and yelled, switching from carefree to uber-pissed in no time. "What was that?!"

"Nothing." Dean sighed.

"_Damn _right it was nothing!" Andie screamed. "Don't you sass me, boy!" Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell forwards.

"Oh, crap," Dean caught her before she hit the ground and leant her against his own body. "You good?" he asked her mystified face.

"Oh; I'm gonna throw *hic* up." She replied.

"Well, hold it 'til I get you back to the motel." Dean told her as he scooped her up in his arms. "If you blow chunks in my car I'm gonna leave you on the side of the road."

Andie loosely draped her arms around his neck. "That's so sweet."

**xxx**

Dean quickly discovered that a car ride with an extremely drunk Andie was not fun. The ten minute trip took three times as long because she kept unlocking her door and trying to do, what she called 'Stunt Rolls' out into the street. But they eventually made it to the motel room in one piece. Dean had to help her walk up the stairs but at least she wasn't collapsing anymore.

"Hey Sammy!" She cried happily when she spotted him sitting on his bed as they entered the motel room.

"Hey…drunk?" He asked his brother.

"Totally." Dean replied as he helped Andie to Sam's bed. "Sit here." He set her beside his brother.

"You can't tell me what to do." She muttered to Dean. "Hey," She turned to Sam. "Your face is moving." She reached out to touch him.

Sam grabbed her hand out of the air. "You should lie down."

"Yeah…yeah…" She agreed slowly as her eyelids began to close. Then she turned back to Dean. "Hey…you're not my suitcase!"

"Sleep." Sam told her pushing her back by her shoulders. He was pretty sure she fell asleep on the way down because the next thing he knew she was snoring. "So," Sam looked at his brother. "I got a text from Bobby while you were gone."

"He figured out how to text?" Dean asked. "Finally."

"Yeah, said people are getting sick and dying for no apparent reason in this small town down South," Sam told him. "He thinks it's definitely something supernatural."

"Awesome." Dean deadpanned. "Can you watch her for a sec while I get changed?"

"What, you afraid she'll swallow her tongue?" Sam replied with a smirk.

"You're so helpful." Dean replied sarcastically as he went into the bathroom.

"I'll have the special…" Andie mumbled drunkenly in her sleep. "No, no dressing…"

**xxx**


	14. Chapter 14: Have You Seen Me Lately?

**Chapter 14**

_Have You Seen Me Lately?_

"Oh God…" Andie grumbled as she opened her eyes. Every portion of her body ached in one way or another. Plus she felt like the slightest movement would cause an astronomical stomach-emptying episode. "Oh God…"

"Morning Sunshine." Dean said to her from the other bed. He was eating some take-away pancakes Sam had dropped off before he'd gone to check them out of the motel.

"Ohh…" Andie slung her legs over the side of the bed and rested her heavy head in her hands. "Please tell me you hit me in the head with a hammer." She said quietly. Even just talking caused a throbbing pain through her skull.

"Almost." Dean replied. "Hungry?" He held his plate of pancakes out to her.

"Urgh." She pushed his hand away and fought the urge to vomit. "What was I on last night?" She rubbed her temples.

"Tequila." Dean informed her. "You know you shouldn't drink it; you're out of it by your second glass. Or second bottle, as it would seem last night."

"Wait, how did I get here?" She asked looking around. "How'd you find me?"

"I picked you up." Dean reminded her. "Don't you remember?"

"Honey, everything after my second drink is a total blur." She replied as she shakily tried getting to her feet. A wave of dizziness and nausea flew over her so she sat back down immediately. "Ooh, standing was a _baaad_ idea." She mumbled. "Have you been here all night?" She asked.

Dean nodded. "Every time I looked at you all I could think about was of those CSI episodes where they find dead people who've choked on their own vomit; wanted to be here to turn you over if need be."

"Every time you looked at me you thought of vomit?" Andie repeated. "That might be the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."

"Well; I am a romantic." Dean smirked.

"Ok…well," Andie got to her feet again. "On that note I'm gonna go hurl." She smacked Dean on the back a couple of times and retreated to the porcelain confines of the bathroom.

Andie was surprised at how much better she felt after a shower. Granted, she stayed in there until the water ran cold and her fingertips pruned up nice and wrinkly. She drank three cups of water in succession and then scrubbed her teeth to get that god-awful taste out of her mouth. Her cell phone, which was buzzing somewhere under all her dirty clothes, caught her attention and she scrambled to find it. It was Cass.

"'Ello you," Her friend said when she answered the phone. "How's your head?"

"Did Dean call you?" Andie asked with a sigh as she assumed that was the way Cass found out about Andie's killer hangover.

"No, I called him after you called me." Cass replied. "Ahh, you've got the morning after memory loss again. That takes me back. Remember Indiana?" She paused. "I don't; guess that's the point."

"Cass, do you want something?" Andie asked. "Or am I just lucky to be getting a dose of morning craziness from you?"

"Morgan, it's almost three in the afternoon." Cass replied. "But yes, woman, I do want something. Y'know that Hierarchy demon you gave a Stay Outta Hell Free pass too so you could whet your appetite at Oktoberfest?"

"Ah, yeah," Andie remembered, though it wasn't one of her favourite memories to recall. "Forneas, right?"

"Yeah, sixth in the Order," Cass confirmed. "The one that taunts men until they commit suicide. Well, he's back and big time out here."

"Out here?" Andie repeated. "Where is 'here' exactly?"

"Fletcher, North Carolina." Cass replied. "Spate of men being found dead from apparent suicide. Wasn't hard to track. But this demon is getting quicker and more ballsy; could really use your help."

Andie sighed. "Ok, I'll leave tonight. Stay safe."

"Always do." Cass replied as she hung up.

Gathering up her clothes, Andie glanced at herself in the mirror. She'd been in the bathroom so long her hair was almost dry. She wore her second favourite pair of jeans and a well-worn green singlet that brought out the sparkling emerald in her eyes. Clothes tucked under her arm, she finally exited the bathroom to see Dean waiting expectantly for her with his arms folded. She assumed he needed the bathroom; she was wrong.

"Ok, I wasn't going to say anything but I have to know why." He asked her.

"Why what?" Andie asked, crinkling her brow as she stuffed her dirty clothes in her shoulder bag.

"Why did I pull out of a bar at two AM?" Dean asked. "And be honest."

Andie sighed and tossed her beg aside. She'd promised him she wouldn't lie anymore. Hell, if he wanted the truth she may as well give it to him. Surely it couldn't make things any worse. "I don't want you to date her." She answered with a shrug. "Jamie. I don't want you to date her." It was easier than she'd thought to actually say it. "And I know I said I was ok with it but I'm not. I lied."

Dean suppressed the urge to scream back 'I knew it!' and instead went a different way. "What, you jealous?"

"Yes." She answered unabashedly.

Dean had not expected that amount of honesty.

"And not because I want you to go out with me," Andie continued, putting her hands to her chest. "But because I don't want you to go out with anybody." She shrugged her shoulders loosely at the immaturity of that statement. "I know that sounds completely childish and stupid but I just want…I want you to be you and have no one else around you."

Dean was completely confused. "You're not making sense."

"Don't you think I know that?" Andie told him. "If you think this sounds nuts you should hear what's going on up here." She pointed to her forehead.

"Well, I didn't see Jamie." Dean admitted.

"You didn't?" Andie found herself almost yelling back.

"No!" Dean returned her yell with a yell of his own.

"Why?!"

"Because!" If she was trying to get him riled up; it was working.

"Because why?!

"Because she's not you!" Dean finally yelled walking up to her. "And I want you! I mean," He laughed without a trace of humor. "Even now when you're crazy moody and pissed off I still want to be with you! But dammit, Andie, you're so friggin' stubborn that you either can't see or choose not to see that!" He got right in her face and was happy to see she had stopped arguing back; she was listening to him. "I don't know if you're scared or angry or just clinically insane but whatever it is; _I don't care_! I'd rather be arguing with you at the top of my lungs like this every godamn day than not have you in my life at all!"

Unable to stop herself, Andie grabbed Dean by the back of the neck and pulled him into a furious kiss. Whether it was both of their pent up anger or pure sexual tension, Andie didn't know, but what ensued was a mad, passionate rush to the bed as they both stripped of each other's clothes. She'd forgotten how his skin felt under her hands; how warm and safe she felt when he held her. She'd missed him. And she hadn't realized just how much until that moment.

**xxx**

Dean had wisps of happy dreams that night. In between the now familiar flashes and memories of his time in Hell, he got light hearted flashes of Andie. Moreso how she used to be; how _they_ used to be. Last night's escapades weren't what Dean remembered of being with Andie. Not to say it wasn't thoroughly enjoyable; he just wasn't accustomed to her being so forceful. But what he'd said to Andie the night before about wanting her no matter how crazy she got still rang true this morning for him.

So when Dean awoke the next morning, he kept his eyes closed a few extra moments to prepare what he'd do next. He didn't want to freak her out or put her off so his plan was to just sneak an arm around her in his sleepy state, playing it off as 'old habits' if she inquired what he was doing. But when Dean reached for his wife, she was gone. Opening his eyes he noticed that Andie's clothes that had been strewn about during their night were missing, too.

"Hey," Sam said as he came into the room with what looked like breakfast. "Gee, you slept late."

"Where's Andie?" Dean asked as he sat up.

"Andie?" Sam repeated looking confused. Then he took a second look around. Dean had slept late; he was naked in bed and looking somewhat at ease. "Aw, man, did you two…?"

"I have been de-hymenated." Dean confirmed proudly.

"Ew." Sam blanched. "Well, I haven't seen her since yesterday."

"She's gone?" Dean pulled his blanket up under his chin. "I feel so used."

"Well, get dressed," Sam chucked a baggie of food at his brother. "It'll take a couple of days to get to Bobby."

Dean got up out of bed and retreated to the bathroom. As he went through his morning routine he wondered if what he should do about Andie. Should he call her? He guessed not. If she'd wanted to see him or talk to him she would have stayed or left a note. Although now that he thought about it; Andie wasn't the note-leaving kind of girl. She was more the show-up-and-have-her-way-with-you kind of girl. Maybe that's what their relationship had been reduced to. And maybe that was okay.

**xxx**

"You had sex."

That was the first thing Cass told Andie when she arrived at her motel room in Fletcher, North Carolina a day later. "What?" Andie replied tossing her bag aside.

"You look guilty and satisfied; you had sex." Cass said again with a triumphant smile.

"It's weird how you use your talents." Andie replied.

"Was it Dean? It was Dean, wasn't i?" When all her friend gave her was a menacing look, Cass knew she was right. "Ah-ha, I knew it!"

"Forneas." Andie replied firmly, trying to get them back on track.

"Ok, ok," Cass sighed. "Geez, pain in the ass…" She muttered as she retrieved a stack of newspaper articles from her nightstand. "I've been here about a week now and there haven't been any more attacks so far, but all that means to me is that there'll be another one sooner rather than later."

Andie took the articles and sifted through them; half of them were obituaries for young men all touting apparent suicide as the cause of death. In a small town; that didn't add up. "Any connections?"

"Actually, yeah, one," Cass said retrieving a brochure from her nightstand. "I talked to three of the widows and they all told me that they all died here," She handed it to her friend. "Rutledge Lake. And the attacks have been happening every two days for the last fortnight. That's why I called you. Forneas is getting cocky; doesn't seem to care about making the murders look like coincidences anymore."

Andie gave her a strange look. "Never seen you work so much to find a demon." She muttered.

"Yeah, well…suicide…you…your mother…" Cass said slowly. "I didn't want you to do more than you had to."

Andie managed to give her an even stranger look. "So you did something nice for me with no benefit for yourself?"

"I know; I must be sober or something." Cass replied. "Well, that'll never happen again."

"So….what, Forneas lures these men to the lake and forces them to kill themselves?" Andie guessed.

"Something like that." Cass nodded in agreement. "Although weirdly enough none of them drowned." She found a certain article depicting the town's shock at all the sudden suicides. "Two shot themselves in the head, three OD'ed on some sort of drug and one guy apparently used a hunting knife to slash his wrists."

"Urgh," Andie winced as she glanced over the article. "And they all were happy beforehand?"

Cass nodded. "One guy was on his honeymoon."

"Lovely." Andie deadpanned, chewing her lip and mulling over the paperwork.

"Ok, so, like I said," Cass got to her feet. "The attacks are happening every couple of days. Which means the next attack will be tonight. That's another thing in common; all the "suicides"," She used quotation fingers. "Happened at night when their wives or girlfriends were sleeping right beside them."

"Method of killing the demon?" Andie asked.

"That I'm not so clear on," Cass admitted. "He's been roaming around in some mortal's body for a couple of weeks though; so I'm guessing some of the ol' iron knife through the chest."

"Sounds good; there's some iron bars or something rattling around in the back of Bapi that we can use," Andie remembered. "I almost chucked 'em out." She got to her feet and headed for the door.

"Bapi?" Cass gave her a confused look.

"Oh, yeah, I named your truck." Andie told her with a smirk. "And since I named him, he's stopped breaking down so I'm sticking with it."

Cass huffed as she followed Andie out the door of her motel room. "So it still considered a bootie call if you're married to the guy?" She asked trying to sound nonchalant.

"Shut it." Andie silenced her without looking back.

**xxx**


	15. Chapter 15: In The Middle

**Chapter 15**

_In The Middle_

Andie drove to Rutledge Lake while Cass took up her second favourite car job other than driving; navigating. It was very early in the morning, about an hour before sunrise, when the pair of them arrived at the dark, dreary body of water surrounded by trees and open banks of grass with dead patches where caravans had previously been parked. There weren't any vans nearby, just the reception building nearby the toilet block and a few scattered tents.

"So," Cass asked her friend as they exited the car and made their way to the back of the truck. "How do you want to do this?"

"Well," Andie removed two iron bars from the trailer and handed one to Cass. "How's about we just stab these through its gut?"

"That simple?" Cass rested her iron bar on her shoulder.

"That simple." Andie smirked as she slammed the trailer back into place. "Where do we start?" She glanced over the water that was eerily calm in the night, lapping gently against the edge of the campsite.

"All the victims were killed right by the water," Cass told her in a hushed whisper. "So I'm guessing by the water."

"Your powers of deduction are mind blowing." Andie deadpanned as she sat herself on the damp ground near the water's edge.

"So, you wanna talk about it now?" Cass asked as she sat down beside her.

"Talk about what?" Andie asked keeping her eyes on the lake for the slightest movement.

"You and Dean. What you did, how you did it, how many times you did it," Cass prodded her friend with her iron bar. "All the details." Her friend just sighed. "One minute you're arguing and the next you're mounting him like some fantastic farm animal."

"Seek help, Cass." Andie quipped back at her.

Cass chuckled and opened her mouth for a clever retort when she saw a shudder ripple across the lake causing wrinkled waves to spread across the water. It was followed by yet another shudder as a dark shadow began to form and move towards the water's edge. It seemed to be aiming for one of the tents set up at the end of campsite. "Andie…" She moved her friend's chin in the direction of the anomaly she was witnessing.

"Oh God…"Andie realized as she saw the shadow rise out of the water and form the body of a man. "It doesn't _lure_ them to the lake. It's _in_ the lake." She got to her feet and bolted along the bank towards Forneas. Cass was right behind her. Both of them had their iron bars firmly gripped in their hands as they neared their target.

Almost ten feet from the demon, Andie thought it was going to be way too easy. That was until Forneas, who was still waist deep in the water but now basically resembled any other human male, suddenly turned his head in Andie and Cass's direction. All he did was tilt his jaw slightly upwards, but that slight action sent Andie and Cassidy both backwards off their feet and so far back they were almost at Bapi again.

Andie gasped as she hit the ground heavily on her back; she'd been taken off guard and hated it. "Cass?" She called as she got to her feet, mentally pushing the dizziness out of her mind. "Cass?!" She called more urgently when she didn't get a reply.

"Yeah, I'm good." Cass replied as she crawled back up off the ground and met up with Andie. "You?"

Andie nodded and grabbed her friend by the wrist. "Empty those tents; make sure everyone gets out." She ordered.

"You're not going after that thing." Cass replied. It was a statement; not a question.

"Just do it!" Andie yelled as she started jogging back towards Forneas who was now completely out of the water and just a few steps from the tent. "Hey!" Andie hollered at it. Forneas looked to Andie but she was prepared this time and waved her hand at the demon before he could do the same to her. She tossed him backwards into the lake; well away from the tent. "Cass; move!" She yelled at her friend.

Cass picked up speed and bolted into the tent. She emerged a second later pulling along a bleary-eyed couple by the hands and hurried with them out of harm's way.

Andie didn't dare touch the contents of the lake; she had a horrible feeling that this demon may control the water. She stood on the very edge of the bank and tightened her grip on her iron bar as the demon made cut its way through the water towards her. It held a hand out to her, almost like a claw, so Andie retaliated by forcing her power back towards Forneas. She felt an unusual tingling in her arm as she tried to hold the demon back. Forneas stopped in his tracks but didn't drop his arm. There was a strange pressure in her palms that Andie hadn't felt before; the demon was trying to push her back exactly the same way that she was.

Andie lifted her iron bar and prepared to throw it but the second she got it up in the air; Forneas used his other hand and telekinetically tossed it aside. Then he pushed both his hands together towards Andie so she got the full force of his attack. She felt as though she'd been hit in the stomach by a cinderblock and was once again knocked off her feet. She felt herself sailing through the air and land heavily against a cool, wet surface.

"Andie?!" Cass called to her as lights started flicking on inside the reception building and people came out of their tents, wondering what the noise was all about. Cass ran over to Andie's still body lying in the mud; she was unconscious but breathing. Looking up at the lake, Cass no longer saw the demon. All she saw was a gentle rippling on the surface; it would be dismissed as the wind by an untrained eye. "Andie?" She turned back down to her friend and slapped her sharply in the face. "Morgan; wake up!"

"What the devil's goin' on?!" A bewildered looking man in a bathrobe and red trucker hat was yelling as he came out of reception and headed towards a group of confused looking campers.

"Alright, let's go." Cass draped Andie's arm around her shoulder and heaved her to her feet. She just hung limp as Cass dragged her back to the car as quickly as possible.

**xxx**

On the drive back to her motel room, Cass tried everything she could think of to wake up Andie. She played music as loud as it would go, she opened the windows to let the cool, night air rush in, but nothing seemed to work. She parked the truck outside the front of her room and hurried to get Andie out of the passenger's seat. It was only when she had her out of the truck that Cass saw blood over the headrest of Andie's seat. Suddenly worried, Cass dragged her friend inside and laid her on the bed. She rushed to the kitchenette, filled a bowl with cool water, grabbed a dishtowel and head back over to Andie.

"Morgan?" Cass tried to wake her as she pulled a chair up beside the bed and put the damp cloth to Andie's forehead. "Look alive, woman!" she shouted into her ear.

Andie flinched.

"Andie?" Cass turned her chin and held the compress to her cheek. "You back with me?"

"Yeah…" Andie groaned as she blinked her eyes open and closed a few times.

"Good." Cass sighed with relief and placed the compress on the back of Andie's head. The wound was already oozing blood onto the pillow.

"Did you get him?" Andie asked pulling herself up into a sitting position and holing the cloth to her head.

"The demon?" Cass inferred. "No; I was too busy scooping your unconscious ass out of the mud. You're welcome, by the way."

Andie sighed and closed her eyes. "You said he attacks every two days; do you think that'll change now that he knows we're after him?"

"_We_ are not doing anything." Cass told her firmly. "You are gonna stay here until you stop bleeding."

"More innocent people are gonna die if we don't kill that thing." Andie reminded her.

"Morgan, it was pure dumb luck that we lived through that." Cass snapped. "You and I both know we wanted to be dancing around the carcass of a murdered demon; but this one is tough. Even tougher than you, Andie."

"I can handle it." Andie replied.

"No, no you can't." Cass said matter-of-factly. "Exhibit A, my blood-stained truck." She pointed out the window. "And our big plan of using iron spears is shot to hell; the thing practically repels them!"

"Fine; Dame Negative," Andie sighed. "What do you suggest?"

Cass leant forwards and rested her elbows on her knees. "We need help." She said with raised eyebrows.

Andie recognized that look. "No."

"Andie." Cass pressed.

"Cass." Andie shook her head.

"Andie."

"Cass."

"Morgan."

"Murphy."

"Sam and Dean can help." Cass told her.

"No." Andie said forcefully.

"Why?" Cass asked exasperatedly. "You don't wanna see Dean after some guilt-ridden post-death reunion sex? Get over it. We're talking death or an awkward conversation here-

"Cass." Andie shook her head.

"Then what?" Cass asked harshly. "You're too proud to ask for help? Want to show him you don't need him? Come on; hit me with it." She clapped her hands together.

"You don't know me as well you think you do." Andie chided her.

"No, I know you better." Cass smirked.

"I don't need Dean." Andie told her rigidly .

"I know," Cass replied. "But _we_ need their help with this demon. Maybe Bobby knows a spell or something to get rid of this thing."

Andie made a guttural grunt as she got up off the bed. "Fine." She agreed through clenched teeth as she rummaged around in her bag for her phone. Seeing that it was nearly four in the morning; she didn't expect Dean to answer. But she was wrong.

"Andie?" He answered tiredly.

"I'm in Fletcher, North Carolina." Andie replied. "You nearby?" She ignored the beaming expression on Cass's face."

"Uh, Sam and I were heading South to see Bobby." Dean said. "Got a flat tire so we're a day or so behind. Why, are you ok?"

"Can you swing by?" Andie asked.

"Just me?"

"No." She could practically see the smirk on his face. "You _and_ Sam. Cass and I ran into this demon we can't seem to get rid of."

"Knew you couldn't stay away from me." He coyly replied.

"Can you help or not?" Andie asked.

"Course." He agreed. "Should be there by the lunch time."

"Ok, we're at the Brooks Motel…thanks." She went to hang up

"Wait, one more thing, one more thing." Dean asked her hurriedly.

"What?" She sighed putting the phone back to her ear.

"What are you wearing?"

Andie rolled her eyes and hung up.

"How's the hubby?" Cass asked innocently.

"You shush!" Andie told her.

**xxx**


	16. Chapter 16: I Never Meant To Let It Die

**Chapter 16**

_I Never Meant To Let It Die_

"FBI?" Frank Walter, the Rutledge Lake Caravan Park owner, repeated skeptically as the two young men in suits showed him their badges.

"I'm Agent Mitchell," Dean told him pocketing his badge. "This is Agent Bradshaw and again, sir; we need you to clear everyone out of your caravan park."

"'Cos o'what?" Frank asked as he crossed his arms over his portly belly.

"Sir, you may have an illegal and hazardous substance leaking into the lake," Sam said efficiently. "And it's dangerous enough to warrant the FBI's attention which means it's potentially harmful to your residents. Now, I suggest you just do as we ask and clear your folks out of here so our experts can inspect the water, do you understand?"

Dean gave an impressed nod to his brother before turning back to Frank. "What's it gonna be?"

"Experts?" Frank repeated as he looked over the agents shoulders towards the two women standing on the edge of the lake; they sure didn't look like the sort of people he'd expected. "Sure do breed 'em different these days…"

"Nice, right?" Dean nodded appreciatively as he followed Frank's gaze on Andie. Sam elbowed him in the ribs. "I mean," Dean cleared his throat. "Watch your mouth; she's a Federal Agent."

"Look, how long're you people gonna be sniffin' round here?" Frank asked bitterly.

"We'll try to be out by Friday, sir," Dean clapped him on his thick shoulder. "Thank you for your cooperation; if you could clear out of here as soon as possible, that'd really help us out." He grinned.

Frank begrudgingly agreed and said he'd have everyone cleared out in an hour's time. Dean and Sam headed towards Andie and Cass who were still by the lake. The brothers had arrived a couple of hours ago with the FBI Agent plan already in mind. It was an easy alias to take on these days; the boys were used to it. Andie had wanted to be included in the whole agents and badges thing; but she still had visible injuries for yesterday's attack and Dean didn't think it would do their façade any good to have a partly mutilated agent answer the door.

On the drive to Rutledge Lake, Dean had wondered how Andie would react to seeing him again after their unbridled sexual rampage a few nights before. He didn't expect her to be any different. And he was right. In all aspects; she wasn't different. She was still standoffish with him, still curt with her answers; basically the same as before. Perhaps she smirked slightly more than normal, but to Dean this was a trade off from the fact she didn't smile nearly as much as she used to.

"Ok, Frank's clearing the place out," Sam said to the girls as they met up. "Ingredients for the exorcism are back at the motel; rituals' gotta be done at midnight. I'll go back and get us started."

"I'll come with you," Cass offered with a Cheshire cat's grin. "Two hands are better than one."

"Heads." Andie corrected her.

"I know what I said." Cass winked at Sam.

Andie rolled her eyes. "Ok, I'm gonna stay here in case this thing shows up again." She said.

"I'll stay with you." Dean offered.

"No; it's ok." Andie told him.

"Oh-ho-ho, no it's not." Cass interjected firmly. "No; last time that thing almost killed you."

"Can't die." Andie reminded her with a shrug.

"Which is the only thing keeping you alive," Cass added. "Ironically. Anyway," She jabbed her thumb towards Dean. "He's staying with you."

"Whatever." Andie agreed as Cass and Sam disappeared up the hill towards Cass's truck.

Andie and Dean meandered around the lake as they left. Dean took off his suit jacket and started skimming stones across the lake. "So?" Dean asked as he sent a stone across the water. "Forneas."

"Yeah?" Andie prompted him as she prodded at the water's surface with a stick.

"Spoke to Bobby while we were heading out this way," Dean continued as he searched for another rock. "Said he had to look up the exorcism in his archives; that it was some _old_ ass demon."

"Well, Lilith's old." Andie reminded him.

"Still, you've had a spate of old demons lately." Dean said as he skimmed another stone. "Wonder why?"

Andie realized as she was staring into the water that Dean wasn't being coy; he was just talking. But he didn't realize there was more to these demons. Andie had yet to tell him about that; she'd never had to. This was the first time she'd needed his help with the Hierarchy. Sighing; she conceded to herself that he deserved to know what he was getting himself into. "There's something else I have to tell you." Andie spoke up.

"Something else?" Dean repeated.

"Yeah; about Forneas…and Castiel," Andie admitted.

"What about 'em?" Dean asked folding his arms.

Andie drew in a deep breath. "About a month before you came back…Castiel came to me and said if I wanted to get you out of Hell then I had to do something for him."

"Do what?" Dean asked, nervousness flickering in his eyes. He knew Andie and Castiel had some form of history but he didn't know the specifics.

"Stop killing demons." She told him bluntly. Then she proceeded to explain everything about the Hierarchy of Devils and the Order of the Throne. She told him how Forneas was the sixth in the order and how Castiel asked her to stop killing these demons because, should she get all the way to number one, Lucifer would stroll his way out of hell and Lilith would get her apocalyptic wish. Andie had to hand it to Dean; he took it well.

"So…you've been doing this, this unambiguous hunting, for how long?" Dean asked.

"A couple of months," Andie answered as she sat down on a large, flat stone so her backside didn't get wet.

"And why are you telling me now?" Dean raised an eyebrow at her.

"Keeping you informed." Andie shrugged.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" He asked in his normal voice. Although he could justify himself being mad at her; he truly wasn't. He was just curious, very curious.

"Didn't think I needed you." Andie muttered. "Til today I was handling it; everything was fine."

"Fine?" Dean repeated. "According to Cass you were on your death bed today; doesn't sound fine to me."

"Oh, she's just being overly dramatic." Andie told him. "We're talking about a woman who once convinced herself that she was carrying the Bubonic plague."

Dean sighed and sat on the rock beside Andie. "So, since we're here prepping to kill this guy," He said. "I'm guessing you're not paying attention to Castiel's warning."

"Can't let him live." Andie shrugged. "Six people have died already and it's not gonna stop."

"No need to win me over." Dean assured her. "I like killing stuff as much as the next guy."

"I just…" Andie shook her head. "I don't know what the right thing to do is anymore." She admitted. "It used to be so clear cut." She continued a moment later. "Kill the demons; protect the innocent. But somewhere along the line it got _really_ muddled up. Now I'm letting demons live to prevent more demons from breaking outta hell…"

"Well…" Dean said whilst taking in a deep breath. "Our lives are nothing if not confusing."

"Even more so thanks to Castiel." Andie nodded in agreement. "Well, anyway," She scoffed. "He's an Angel. What's the worst he can do, right?"

Dean scoffed and opened his mouth to answer but was cut off when some loud thuds from below shook across the ground like an earthquake. Both Dean and Andie sprung to their feet. "What was that?" Dean asked looking around.

"Oh," Andie's eyes spotted something. "I think I know." She nodded her head out towards the lake.

Dean followed Andie's gaze. His heart caught in his throat. Forneas was striding out of the water like the President on inauguration day. He spotted Dean and Andie immediately but didn't attack them.

"Come on, Sammy, where are you?" Dean mumbled under his breath as he kept his eyes on the demon.

"He's not fighting us…"Andie murmured out of the corner of her mouth as she, too, made sure her eyes stayed glued on Forneas.

Dean and Andie kept their stance as the demon came fully out of the water and stood on the very cusp of the shore. He glared at them with a fierce intensity.

"The hell's he doin'?" Dean whispered as he creased his brow.

Confused, Andie took a step forwards. That was when she saw the red glow congealing behind Forenas' eyes. He then slowly began to lift up both of his hands from his sides but his glare never wavered. Andie was struck with a sick feeling in her stomach. One, that after all her years of hunting, she knew to trust. "Oh no," She grabbed Dean's forearm tightly. "We gotta run."

"What?" Dean took his eyes off the demon.

"RUN!" Andie spun him around and they bolted for the treeline. Glancing over her shoulder, Andie saw the red glow was now almost a blinding crimson light emitting from the demon's eyes, almost like scarlet spotlights. There was another soft rumble along the ground as if a plane was flying low overhead but it didn't take Andie long to realize that the grumble was coming from the lake. Still gripping Dean's arm, Andie stopped him just as they reached the trees. "We have to get higher." She told him panting.

"Why?" Dean asked. Andie answered by pointing back to Forneas. Dean saw the demon with his arms out and his head held high as the water in the lake started to quiver and spill up onto the bank. "Oh, come on!" He cried exasperatedly. "Let's go." He took the lead and maneuvered Andie through the trees. Most had been destroyed in the winter storms so the branches were bare and frail; definitely not stable to climb.

Andie looked back and saw the water was now racing towards them and steadily increasing in depth. It was like a midnight blue wave cascading towards them at a ferocious pace. "Dean!" Andie called out warningly.

"Here!" Dean found a tree that's branches had survived the harsh weather. After first boosting Andie up to the lowest branch, Dean heaved himself up off the ground. He felt Andie's arms pull him up completely and the pair of them then reached above and climbed up another couple of branches making sure they were clean off the ground before they even looked down. Dean sat against a bough almost as thick as the trunk of the tree itself gasping for air while Andie sat on a smaller limb a little higher up.

Completely out of breath, Andie stared down at the ground. It was covered in water; like the tree was growing right out of the lake itself. They were surrounded; and it was still increasing. "What the hell do we do now?" Andie wheezed. "The water's still rising."

"Uh…" Dean said slowly as he noticed something on the horizon back where Forneas was standing. "Andie, I'm not sure it is water." He pointed out to her what he was seeing; the trees near the bank were all slowly collapsing and disintegrating in shrouds of smoke; like the liquid was killing them from the inside out.

Suddenly, the tree the pair was clinging to shuddered violently. "Dean…" Andie's voice shook a little as she tightened her grip on the tree.

"It's ok; move down here." He reached out his hand towards her.

Just as Andie's fingers grazed Dean's palm, another brutal shudder ran up the trunk of the tree and the branch Andie was sitting on snapped clean in two. Andie didn't even have a chance to scream as she plummeted down. She felt a sharp tug on her right arm as she stopped in mid-air, swinging slightly as she dangled only a few feet above the "water". She looked up; Dean was clutching her with both of his hands bracing himself on the bough with his legs wide apart.

"I got ya!" Dean told her firmly as he held all of her weight in his hands. It didn't help his concentration that he could hear the tree crumbling from the inside; he felt like it would just collapse like a fortune cookie. "Give me your other hand!"

Andie didn't want Dean to lose his footing so she carefully lifted her left hand up as opposed to lunging for him. When Dean had her clasped tightly in his grip, Andie managed to get her feet to grip onto the tree trunk and climb up into Dean's arms.

"Are you ok?" Dean asked her as he fell back into the tree trunk with Andie close to his body. He noticed a cut under her eye and brushed her hair out of her face to see it better. "Does that hurt?"

"No; I'm ok." Andie told him, flicking her hair back from behind her ear where Dean had just tucked it. The tree shook again and seemed to tilt backwards. "This is not good, Dean." Andie muttered nervously as her heartbeat thumped loudly in her ear.

An ear splitting crack rang through the air and Andie thought that was it; they'd fallen. She squinted her eyes shut and pressed herself harder into Dean's chest. But the impact she expected never came. Andie opened one of her eyes and saw not a red glow; but a yellowish haze over the sky that was steadily fading. The tree was no longer shaking. Feeling more confident, Andie pried herself off Dean's body and peered down below. The water was gone.

"What happened?" Dean moved to sit beside Andie.

"No idea…" Andie muttered honestly. "But it's gone."

Dean was about to ask how it could all just be gone when he heard his brother's voice calling to him from nearby the lake. "Sammy?!" Dean hollered out over Andie.

"I hear you; where are you?!" Sam yelled back.

"Over here!" Andie cried out.

"Andie?!" Cass's frantic voice called.

"Yeah; here!" Andie called again.

"Come on," Dean said as he started climbing down the tree. "Let's go." He tested the strength of the branch below him before helping Andie down. She didn't seem to keen on letting him help her but considering how high up they were she relented.

One branch from the ground, Andie jumped off and landed safely on her feet. The soil wasn't even damp. In fact the only evidence that anything had gone on was the dozen or so piles of kindling where the trees used to be.

"Hey!" Sam called out as he jogged towards them with Cassidy close behind him. "You ok?"

"Yeah; considering." Dean answered. "What happened?"

"He's gone." Cass spoke up. "The demon."

"How?" Andie asked, remembering very clearly the intense look on Forneas' face.

"Yeah, _how_, Sammy?" Dean asked with a furrowed brow, suggesting that he knew very well what his brother had done.

"Let's just get out of here, can we?" Sam replied nervously.

**xxx**

And get out of there they did. Cass drove the truck so Andie could attend to the cut on her forehead. It wasn't too bad, just a graze from a stray twig that poked her the wrong way. There was a silence in the car as the girls followed the Impala away from Rutledge Lake towards the boys' motel room. Andie didn't know what was on Cass's mind, but she had too much going through her brain to really care. Forneas was dead; that meant yet another Hierarchy demon was out of the way. So, the next one wouldn't be far behind. It was one step closer to Lilith getting her wish of Lucifer striding from the Pit. She was sure it didn't matter that Sam was the one to have killed him; it was the fact that Forneas was gone that mattered.

Too tired to comprehend just how deep in the proverbial hole she was in, Andie struck up a conversation with her friend. "Where are you headed now?" she asked. "I mean, you're leaving, right?"

Cass nodded as she kept her eyes on the road. "Not sure…might trek back a little; cover some old ground. I was working on some stuff in Gastonia..." she trailed off.

Andie sighed and looked ahead to the Impala. She could see Dean's silhouette behind the wheel animatedly talking, or more accurately; yelling, at his brother. Andie didn't have to think too hard to figure out what they were fighting about. "He used it, didn't he?" She spoke up to Cass. "Sam. He used that demon killing power on Forneas."

Cass sighed and nodded. "Yeah…it was kinda scary…his nose started bleeding."

Andie was confused by her friend's nonchalant attitude. "You're not as freaked out as I thought you would be." She admitted.

"Well…" Cass shrugged. "It got the job done. And had he not done it; you and Dean wouldn't still be around." She paused. "I guess we use what works, right?"

Andie had a feeling she was using this as a dig at her own telekinetic power, but she didn't feel like arguing. Instead she changed the subject. "Can I come with? To Gastonia?"

"Yeah, yeah," Cass smiled; almost relieved. "Just gotta get my bag from Sam's room and we'll be off."

About ten minutes later, Cass pulled her truck up beside the Impala in the Brook's Motel's parking lot. Sam and Dean, who had obviously had a very heated discussion in the car, didn't speak as they headed into their motel room. Cass and Andie trailed behind them.

"Where are you headed next?" Andie asked Sam as she stole a mini bottle of vodka from the mini bar.

"South." Sam answered. "Bobby had a case for us to look into. Might be nothing. But might be something." He shrugged. "You stickin' with us?"

"Ah, no," Andie shook her head. "Heading out with Cass." She avoided Dean's eyes. "Ah, I'll go check us out." She told Cassidy as she retreated out of the motel room. She knew without turning around whose heavy boot steps were following her.

"Stay," is all that he said.

Andie turned around and shook her head at Dean. "I can't."

"Why?" He was still reeling from his argument with Sam so his words snapped more than he meant them to.

"I just can't, ok?" She continued walking towards Reception. She was all pent up with anger and frustration, prepared to argue with Dean with every retort that he had for her. But his unmistakable steps didn't follow her. She didn't turn around until she reached the end of the hall but when she did, Dean was nowhere in sight.

**xxx**

Where Dean was, was back in his motel room; too often did he take anger out on Andie. This time, he chose a different tactic. He didn't want to argue anymore. Especially when with Andie, it was always the _same _argument. As he came back into their room, Dean realized the only one in there was Cassidy. He was in luck; she was the one he wanted to talk to. If Andie wouldn't tell him why she had been acting the way she had been since he'd come back; he was going to ask the only other person who would know the answer. "Where's Sam?" Dean asked Cass as he looked around the room.

"Shower." She answered with a nod towards the bathroom door. "Ok, I'm gone. See you around, Dean." She patted his shoulder as she headed out the door.

"Cass, can I ask you something?" Dean called after her.

Cass sighed and turned back. "I had a feeling this was gonna come up." She paused. "Yes; that was me in Sorority Sinners 4 but I swear I was only trying to make it as an actress."

"No; I—" Dean gave her a strange look. "No. About Andie."

"Ah; of course." Cass tried to laugh off her over-share as she came back into the motel room and shut the door behind her. "I was just kidding about Soro…um; what about Andie?"

"It's just that…" Dean wasn't really sure where to start; he and Cass weren't exactly close. This was probably the most they had ever said to each other. But one thing Dean admired about Cass was the way she got straight to the point so he figured he may as well do the same for her. "When I…came back from Hell…and she saw me again," Dean chewed his bottom lip. "She just walked away from me. And I want to know why."

Cass crossed her arms loosely across her chest and rested back against the table. "And why do you think I would know?" She inquired.

"Don't BS me, Cassidy," Dean scolded her. "I know you know why. And she's not talkin' to me about it so spill it. Now."

Cass took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. "What do you want me to say? She loved you and you died; it wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows for her." She paused and bit her lower lip. "But she's Andie." She added a moment later with another shrug.

"What does _that_ mean?" Dean asked as his eyebrows creased together.

"I mean; she's dealt with loss before." Cass informed him. "The woman is nothing if not resilient." Cass heaved herself up onto the table and crossed her legs. "Her parents died; she grieved and moved on. Her grandmother? Same deal. Even Dale, though he's not dead, he left her and she moved on. That's what she does. That's the only way she knows how to deal with stuff like this."

Dean sank down on his bed.

"So after you died," Cass pulled a scrunchie out of her pocket and pulled her short, cropped black hair into a stumpy pony tail as Dean sat himself down and listened to her. "She wouldn't get out of bed for weeks." She continued. "She didn't want to hunt and I practically had to force her to eat. She just wanted to be alone." Cass stop herself there; she didn't want to spend too much time dwelling on the memory. "But then there was this demon that I couldn't shake. Not to be too over dramatic, but I _almost_ died." She couldn't help sounding slightly proud at that fact.

"And I would have hated for the only check against my impeccable hunting record be that I caused my own death." Cass quipped with a smirk. "So Andie dragged her ass out of bed and helped me. But boy; was she shaky. Her power was way off; she couldn't control it. She was…unstable. For the first time since I've known her she seemed to have no idea what to do."

Dean swallowed hard; he didn't want to hear how badly Andie had been while he was gone. He made a point of trying never to think about what Sam and Andie went through without him. He knew that if it was half as bad as when he'd lost Sam the year before, even just for those few hours, they had gone through hell.

"But again; she persevered and started searching for a way to bring you back." Cass leant forwards off the table. "See, with Andie? She needs a goal. She needs something to drive her. Finding a way to resurrect you was what she needed to move on from you," Cass paused. "As confusing as that may sound." She added a moment later.

"But I _am_ okay." Dean shook his shoulders; still not understanding why Andie was reacting the way she was to him. Surely she'd be happy she got her wish; that he was alive again. "I _was_ saved."

"But _Andie_ didn't do it." Cass reminded him. She let out an exasperated puff of air and hopped off the table. "Dean; this is what you have to understand." She walked over towards the bed and leant down so they were eye to eye. "Even though she was hell-bent on bringing you back, I think there was a small part of her that was positive you weren't coming home. So when you appeared fully formed looking all…well, looking the way that you do…it scared her."

Dean shook his head. "Andie doesn't get scared." He cut in. "Not like that. I mean, if she thought I was a demon she would have just kicked my ass right then and there. Not walked out."

"You don't get it, Dean!" Cass snapped suddenly. "She wasn't scared of you leaving her. Like I said, she can deal with that." She paused to catch her breath; ranting to a man was more exhausting than she remembered. "She's terrified of you sticking around."

Dean's mouth hung open as he searched for an appropriate response. "She's scared…because…I want to stay with her?" He guessed.

Cass nodded. "Aside from me; everyone in Andie's life has left her one way or another." She reminded him. "Like I said, it's sad; but she accepts this. She can deal with it. But someone staying? And I mean _really_ staying, like you? Someone who wants to be around her all the time?" She shook her head gently. "That's what she can't deal with. That's what she's afraid of. And that's why I can't help you. And not because I don't want to. Because I don't know how." Shouldering her bag again; Cass clapped Dean's jaw in her palm. "Believe me; I wish I did." She smiled. "See you around, Dean."

"Yeah...see ya," Dean muttered as she exited out of the motel room and yanked the door shut. He could still hear the shower running and was glad Sam hadn't heard any of that conversation. It was a lot of information to take in and definitely not something he was used to. But as he thought about what Cass had said; he could see how it made sense. Andie wasn't as normal as she portrayed herself to be. She'd had a very difficult life; Dean supposed expecting people to leave her was the best coping mechanism she had. So his resurrection from Hell threw her through a multi-dimensional loop. So rather than dealing with it; she ran away and refused to deal with it. Dean couldn't blame her; he was fond of doing the same thing himself. He just hadn't realized that it would hurt him so much.

**xxx**


	17. Chapter 17: It Was All Yellow

**_The name might suggest what episode this chapter centres around. It's still my fave episode of the season and is up there with the best SPN eps of all time. I hope you like my Andie-inclusion._**

**Chapter 17**

_It Was All Yellow_

As it turned out, Andie and Cassidy did get to Gastonia but there was nothing supernatural going on there. The spate of recent deaths was all explained and there was nothing to suggest a demonic connection. So Cass handed back the keys to her truck and hopped a bus out of town. She'd spent nearly a week with Andie and the pair needed time away from each other; they both knew they were the kind of best friends who did better apart then together. Most of their weeks together in the past resulted in childish name calling, many pranks and usually an injury or two. After they had parted ways this time, Cass was nursing a bruised left arm from when Andie used her power to knock her out of bed for snoring.

It had been whilst driving along the same sort of dusty, isolated stretch of highway that she was used to these days that Andie got a call from Sam. "Hey; Sam, what's up?" She clicked him on speaker phone and kept driving.

"Hey." He said. "Are you busy?"

Andie knew from the way Sam's voice rose and octave or two that something was going on. He was never quite able to pull off a convincing 'everything's fine' tone of voice. "What's going on?"

"I need your help." Sam admitted. "Well, Dean and I do. There's been a…problem."

"Problem?" Andie repeated.

"Dean's sick."

"Sick?" Andie echoed. "With what?"

"Ghost sickness." Sam mumbled sheepishly. He then went into detail about the case Bobby had sent them on. Some men had died unexpectedly all from suicide, which was strange in such a small town, so the brothers went to check it out. Whilst at an autopsy; Dean had been sprayed with some kind of spleen fluid and now appeared to be suffering from the symptoms. Basically, he was getting more and more anxious and this would eventually result in his death.

"Ok…"Andie said slowly as Sam finished explaining. "So…why do you need me?"

"I have some leads to go on," Sam told her. "But Dean's not really in the best condition to come with me. I haven't told him I think its ghost sickness yet and I'd rather not leave him alone right now."

"Why haven't you told him?" Andie questioned.

"Because he'd freak." Sam replied simply. "And freaking is that last thing I want him to be doing alone in a hotel room."

"What about Bobby?" She asked with a sigh.

"He's on his way; but it'd be cutting it fine to wait for him." Sam said nervously. "And I thought if you're still in the state…"

Andie sighed. "Yeah, ok, I'll come." She agreed. Sam was genuinely relieved as he recited their motel address to her. "I'll be there this afternoon."

**xxx**

Andie found the Bluebird hotel quite easily and was even lucky enough to score a parking space right out the front. She called Sam to let him know she'd arrived and he said Dean would be in waiting in their hotel room on the fourth floor. He also rattled off some information he'd discovered about their victim. Andie assured Sam she'd keep Dean calm when she reiterated the information and told him she'd see him soon. After booking herself a room, she went to the convenience store next door to pick up a box of donuts to win Dean over and headed back towards the hotel to the brothers room. She barely got to the front door when she heard that familiar heavy drum solo that begins _Eye of the Tiger_ by Survivor blaring out of someone's stereo speakers. Andie turned and saw the Impala parked across the road with its windows rolled down. Intrigued; she made her way over to it and soon discovered it was the source of the song. And, inside the car lying on his back, was Dean playing an air drum kit along with the beat of the song.

Andie grinned as she watched him enjoying himself before she banged her first on top of the roof shocking Dean out of his fantasy. "Havin' fun?" She beamed.

"Hey," He greeted her as he climbed out of the Impala. "What are you doing here?"

"Sam called me," Andie told him. "Asked me to check in on you."

"Well, check this out." He lifted his right arm and showed her the red, bloody scratches in his inner elbow.

"Ow," Andie grimaced. "Sam told me about the spate of sudden deaths in normally healthy people and the whole angry ghost hypothesis." She handed him the box of donuts. "And…well, you're not gonna like their theory."

"And?" Dean tossed the treats into the car without even opening the box.

"Um," Andie dismissed Dean's lack of interest in the food for the moment. "It's some sort of ghost sickness." She told him, trying to remain as nonchalant as possible.

"Ghost sickness?" Dean repeated. "Oh God…no…" He leant against the car. "I have no idea what that means." He admitted.

"Ok, Sam told me it has something to do with certain cultures beliefs that the dead can infect the living with a disease," Andie informed him; noticing his increasingly anxious facial expression as she spoke. "Which is why they stopped displaying bodies in houses and started carting them off to funeral homes-"

"Kay, get to the good stuff." Dean interjected.

"Well, symptoms?" She raised her eyebrows. "You get anxious, then scared, then _really_ scared and then your heart gives out." She paused. "Sam said it fits all the strange deaths you two have been investigating here."

"Yeah, but we haven't seen a ghost in weeks." Dean told her frantically.

"Well, I doubt you caught it from a ghost." Andie told him. "Like I said, it's all about the dead body. So once the spirit infects that first person, it spreads like a cold. So your victim Frank O'Brien, the one who Sam said coughed spleen goo on him, was probably the first infected. Patient zero."

"Our very own _Outbreak_ monkey." Dean quipped worriedly.

"Yeah, well I found out Frank was in Maumee for a softball tournament which is where he must've infected the other two victims," Andie said shoving her hands into the back of her jeans. "They were players on the opposing team."

"So, a ghost infects Frank," Dean thought aloud. "Then he passes it on to the other guys and, what, I got it from his corpse?"

"Probably." Andie shrugged.

"So, what, I have forty-eight hours before I go insane and my heart stops?!" Dean asked wide-eyed.

"Well," Andie checked her watch. "More like twenty-four."

"Super." Dean looked horrified. "Well, why just me! Why not Sam? He got hit with the spleen juice!"

"Oh, Sam has a theory about that," Andie said with a smile. "Turns out all three victims share a certain personality type." Dean nodded at her to continue. "Frank was a bully to that snake guy, and one of the other two guys was a Vice-Principal and the last guy was a Bouncer."

Dean looked expectantly at her. "So?"

"Basically they were all dicks." Andie shrugged.

Dean crinkled his brow. "Are you calling me a dick?"

"Yes, but that's not all." Andie answered swiftly. "All three victims used fear as a weapon so now this disease is just returning the favour."

"But I don't scare people." Dean said defensively.

"Dean, all we do is scare people." Andie told him.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Well, than Sam's a dick too!"

"Apparently he's not." Andie smirked. "Anyway; to stop the sickness we have to gank the ghost that started it in the first place."

"Frank's wife…" Dean mused. "Suicide…who knows why she killed herself."

Andie nodded and then glanced Dean up and down. "Hey; what are you doing out here, anyway?" She pointed to the hotel. "Why aren't you in your room?"

"Yeah, but our room is on the fourth floor." Dean said sheepishly. "It's, um…it's high."

Andie sighed and closed her eyes. "Ok, fine," She took her room key out of her pocket. "My room is number 3 on the first floor; you're welcome to stay there."

"Ok." Dean took her room key nervously.

"I'm gonna get something to eat," She told him, watching him carefully in case he freaked out. "Will you be alright for five minutes?"

Dean cleared his throat. "Course I will!" He told her in an overly masculine voice.

Andie fretted through her shopping trip as she picked up a few essential items; Dean hid his fear at the best of times and now with a sickness that would draw it out she worried he might feel the effects faster than the other victims. Thinking back to her drive, Andie had expected more tension between her and Dean seeing as how they had left things back at Rutledge Lake. She assumed the lack of awkwardness was more because of Dean's current situation than to any progression in their relationship. The more time she spent in the store, the more anxious Andie became herself so she hurriedly paid for her items and walked briskly back towards her hotel room. When she came through the door she almost trod on something and it took her a second to realize it was a wall clock shattered to pieces. She raised her eyebrows at Dean who was resting on the couch with a cold beer in hand.

"Everything ok?" She asked cautiously.

"Just peachy." He said with a sarcastic grin. "Sam called; he's on his way back now."

"Did he find anything?" Andie asked as she set her grocery bags down on the table.

"Yeah, Jessie O'Brien's body was cremated," He told her. "So we're pretty sure she is not our ghost." He scratched at his inner elbow.

"Hey, quit picking at that." Andie snapped when she saw him. "How are you feeling?" She grabbed a beer for herself and sat in the chair beside the sofa.

"Awesome. It's nice to have my head on the chopping block again." He said with a sardonic melody in his voice. "I almost forgot what that feels like; it's freaking delightful." He coughed a little.

"Well, you're Deadset Annoying levels seem normal so it's not too bad." She smirked.

"Har-har." Dean said through another cough.

"You ok?" Andie asked.

Dean's eyes suddenly grew very wide as he gasped for air. He got to his feet and bolted for the kitchen sink.

"Dean?" Andie followed him closely as he gagged over the sink as if to vomit. He spat something from his insides that clanged around in the basin in a mixture of saliva and streaks of blood. Dean picked it up and rinsed it under the tap; it was a wood chip.

"Oh my God," Andie almost smacked her forehead at her own stupidity. "We've been ignoring the biggest clue we have. You."

"I don't wanna be a clue…" Dean mumbled.

"The abrasions," She took the chip from Dean's hand. "This. The whole disease is trying to tell us something."

"With wood chips?" Dean asked shifting comfortably on his feet.

"Exactly." Andie flashed him a toothy grin.

**xxx**

Sam arrived back at the motel ten minutes later. After the quick explanation of why they had changed rooms and Dean's regurgitation of the wood chip; the three of them headed off in the Impala for Cassity & Sons Lumber Mill. It was the only lumber cutting business in town and, as luck would have it, Frank O'Brien's wife, Jessie, used to work there. Dean exited his car and nervously looked up at the mill. It hadn't been used in about twenty years so all of the structuring was rusted and hanging off its hinges. It didn't look like it would last through heavy rain.

"I'm not going in there." Dean told Sam as Andie clambered out of the back seat.

"We need backup, and you're all we've got." Sam told him. "You're going in, Dean." He added firmly as he headed to the trunk of the car.

Dean felt around in his pockets for something and retrieved a small bottle of whiskey. He downed a few gulps of it to calm himself. "Let's do this!" He said in as strong a voice that he could muster as he joined Andie and Sam at the back of the Impala. "It's a little spooky, isn't it?" He brought up as he unlocked the trunk.

"Spooky?" Andie mimicked. "It's fine. Take this." She handed him his pistol.

"Oh, I'm not carrying that." He told her. "It could go off!" He added when she opened her mouth to presumably berate him into taking it. "I'll man the flashlight." He grinned and grabbed the torch.

Andie swallowed her anger. "You do that." She told him.

"Let's go." Sam said as he took hold of Dean's shotgun and clicked on his EMF meter. It immediately started going off.

"That's not gonna work with me around, is it?" Dean realized sheepishly.

"You don't say." Sam muttered irritably. "Come on."

The three of them headed into the saw mill slowly, even slowly with Dean stopping every few moments because he'd "heard something". Sam took the lead and shone his torch around the entrance of the mill. As he shone it on the floor; something glimmered back at him. "Wait." He crouched down.

Dean jumped at his brother's voice breaking the silence and clutched Andie's sleeve. "Would you calm down?" She whispered at him pulling his hand off of her. "You're fine, ok?" She knew it wasn't Dean's fault that he was acting this way; but her suddenly overly clingy husband was getting on her nerves.

"Check it out," Sam spoke up again as he picked the glimmering object off the floor. It was a wedding band. "To Frank, Love Jessie," He read the inscription. "It's Frank O'Brien's ring."

"Least we know we're in the right place." Andie pointed out.

Sam pocketed the ring and they continued further into the mill. Dean managed to keep the flashlight steady enough to direct them through the darkness. Dean jumped again when he heard a loud clanging noise from a room nearby. He started shaking which made the flashlight beam shudder, too. Sam took the lead and led them into a room full of lockers. The one back against the wall was the one making the clattering noise with its door shaking as if something was trying to push through from the other side. Sam approached it slowly, ignoring Dean's frantic arm waving and terrified eyes. Sam counted down on his fingers to indicate he was about to open the locker door. Dean gripped onto Andie's forearm preparing himself for what was to come as Sam opened the door and something small and furry jumped out.

"_Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!_" Dean hollered at the top of his lungs as the frightened cat bolted into the hallway.

"Good, God!" Andie covered her ears wishing she hadn't chosen the unfortunate position of standing directly beside Dean so his screams blasted into her eardrums.

"That was scary!" Dean said gasping for breath.

Sam, who was getting as annoyed with Dean's anxiety as Andie, sighed and headed out of the locker room to keep searching while Andie stayed behind with Dean until he calmed himself down.

"Did I just scream like a woman?" He asked as he took a few deep breaths.

"Don't flatter yourself," Andie clapped him on his back. "You scream like a girl."


	18. Chapter 18: Overdose

**Chapter 18**

_Overdose_

Andie and Dean met up with Sam in yet another room of the mill. He was inspecting a dilapidated work bench coated in torn pieces of paper and other forgotten riff-raff. Sam turned to the others holding what looked like an ID card he'd discovered. "Luther Garland." Sam read.

"Hey," Dean spoke up as he picked up a sketching of a beautiful woman hidden underneath all the papers. "This is Frank's wife; I recognize her from that newspaper article we found." He showed the picture to his brother.

"The plot thickens…" Andie murmured as snatched the drawing from Dean's fingers.

"Yeah, but into what?" Dean asked, snatching the drawing back. As he yanked the paper out of Andie's hand, it tore clean in two.

There was a loud mechanical clicking noise as all the pulleys and conveyor belts roared to life. "Oh, what did I touch?" Andie leant up off the work bench. "Dean?" She noticed he seemed somewhat frozen with his torch pointed towards a darkened corner of the room. Andie gasped. She saw a young, heavy-set bald man with his back to them. He was wearing a faded, stained jumpsuit. The man turned around; it was the same man on the ID card Sam found. Luther Garland.

Dean was out of there like a gunshot.

"Hey!" Sam called after his bailing older brother.

Andie attempted to use her power to attack Luther, but when she tried nothing happened; a sure sign that this was a ghost and not a demon. "Sam, help." Andie prodded Sam to signal that Luther was advancing on them. Luther retrieved a crow bar from behind his back and slapped it into the palm of his hand a few times as he sneered. Just because he was a ghost didn't mean he wasn't dangerous.

Sam readied his shotgun and fired a bullet of rock salt at the apparition; he was engulfed in a loud of gray smoke. The mechanic pulleys continued to creak and groan around them; as if the building was letting its anger be known.

"Ok, well, we should go." Andie said hurriedly.

Sam snatched Andie's hand and they pair of them hurried out of the mill. The moment they stepped outside the doors; the mechanisms all ceased rotating and the building was silent once again. Both breathing sighs of relief, Sam and Andie headed towards the Impala which is where they found Dean kneeling beside the driver's side door sucking down a bottle of whiskey.

"What the hell, Dean?" Andie held her arms out at her sides. "You leave your brother and your wife in there to get mauled by a tortured ghost?"

Dean didn't answer; he just kept on drinking the whiskey with a frightened look in his eyes.

"Well," Sam spoke up. "Guess we got the right place." He held up the ID card as Dean tossed the now empty bottle aside.

"Cool." Dean said through a belch.

"I'll drive." Sam spoke up, gripping his brother by the back of his jacket and directing him into the back seat of the car. He got into place behind the wheel as Andie climbed in the passenger's side.

"So what now?" Andie asked as Sam steered them out of the mill driveway.

"Well, we know Luther worked at the mill," Sam spoke up. "And for some reason there were drawings of Frank's wife in there…in the same room he was haunting."

"You think he drew them?" Andie asked as she glanced back at Dean; he appeared to be asleep.

"Maybe…" Sam muttered; crinkling his brow in deep thought. "I think we should stop in and see the Sheriff again, they should have the report on Luther's death. If we find what killed him; maybe we find out why his ghost is still hanging around."

"Well, ghosts always haunt for a reason and it's _always_ personal." Andie pointed out. "So something happened at that mill."

By the time Sam steered the Impala into the parking lot of the Sheriff's station, Dean was awake and waving around another bottle of whiskey he'd found, singing loudly to a song on the radio. Andie physically had to take the bottle out of his hands to get him to stop and had to hold him steady as they entered the station. Sam played the FBI card again and asked the Deputy behind the desk for the report on Luther Garland's death.

"This is the Garland file," Deputy Linus said as he came back to the front desk. He handed the file to Andie and glanced at Dean, unsteady as he was, wobbling behind her. "Is he…drunk?"

"He's fine." Andie assured the Deputy with a smile. She opened up the file and skimmed through the medical examiners autopsy report on Luther's body. "According to this, Luther Garland's cause of death was physical trauma. What does that mean specifically?"

"The guy died 20 years ago," Deputy Linus shrugged. "Before my time. Sorry."

"Then can we talk to the sheriff?" Sam asked.

"Um, he's out sick today." The Deputy muttered evasively.

"Well, if you see him, will you have him call us?" Sam asked. "We're staying at the Bluebird."

Andie held up the file. "Mind if I take this?"

"Sure." The Deputy nodded.

"Thanks." She backed away from Deputy Linus and clicked her fingers at Dean, motioning him to follow her.

But Dean stayed put. "Y'know what?" He said shakily to the Deputy. "You're awesome." He pointed a lazy finger at him.

The Deputy laughed. "Thanks…you too, I guess."

Dean chuckled and tried to put his hand in his pocket but he missed so his hand just slid down his leg.

"Dean?" Andie handed the file to Sam and grabbed Dean by the elbow. "Come on," She nudged him. "Let's go."

"He's awesome." Dean said to her.

"I know," Andie agreed as she led him to the car. "Come on."

Sam was right behind her skimming through the report on Luther. "This says Luther has an older brother." He said as he rested the folder on top of the Impala while Andie bundled Dean in the back seat. "He lives at Peaceful Pines Assisted Living."

"Assisted Living?" Andie repeated as she buckled Dean's seat belt for him.

"Fancy words for Old Folks Home." Sam said as he retrieved the car keys from his pocket.

"Maybe he can shed some light on Luther?" Andie wondered as she slid into the passenger's seat.

It took some bribery for more whiskey to convince Dean that he needed to accompany Sam and Andie inside to interview Luther's brother at Peaceful Pines Assisted Living, but it turned out to be worth the effort because Tom Garland gave them more than enough information. He told them that even though Luther looked scary; he was anything but. He was the sweetest man you could ever meet. He worked at the saw mill with Frank's wife, Jessie. She was the only one who treated him like a real person and Luther had a crush on her. When Jessie had gone missing, Frank assumed Luther had something to do with it. Before he knew Jessie had killed herself, Frank attacked Luther, wrapped a chain around his neck and dragged him behind his truck up and down a stretch of highway. According to Tom, everyone knew that Frank was guilty but since he was a pillar of the community and Luther was considered the town freak; the whole thing was swept under the rug and no one spoke of it again.

A nurse interrupted their conversation saying visiting hours were long over, so Dean, Andie and Sam headed out to the parking lot. "Now we know what these are," Dean said pointing to his inner elbow as the three of them approached the Impala. "Road rash. And I'm guessing Luther swallowed some wood chips when he was being dragged down that road."

"Makes sense." Sam conceded. "You're experiencing his death in slow motion."

"Yeah well, not slow enough, huh?" Dean shook his head. "Let's burn some bones and get me healthy."

Sam and Andie exchanged a worried look. "Dean, it won't be that easy." Sam told his brother.

"No, no, it'll be that easy." Dean countered. Then he became instantly frightened. "Why wouldn't it be that easy?"

"Luther was road-hauled." Andie explained. "His body was ripped to pieces. He was probably scattered all over that road. There's no way we're gonna find all the remains." She chewed her lip. "We'll just have to figure something else out."

"You know what?" Dean slammed the car door. "Screw this." He started off down the road.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Dean!" Sam called after him.

"No, I mean, come on, Sam. What are we doing?!" Dean turned back and yelled.

"We're hunting a ghost." Sam said in a calm voice.

"A ghost, exactly!" Dean cried. "Who does that?"

"Us." Andie told him as she also tried to keep her tone calm.

"Us? Right. And _that_, that is exactly why our lives suck!" Dean stated. "I mean, come on, we hunt monsters! What the hell?! I mean, normal people, they see a monster, and they run. But not us, no, no, no, we -- we search out things that want to kill us. Or eat us! You know who does that? Crazy people! We...are insane!"

"Oh, God, he's blown a fuse…" Andie mumbled as Dean continued to rant.

"You know, and then there's the bad diner food and then the skeevy motel rooms and then the truck-stop waitress with the bizarre rash."

"What? Ew!" Andie cut in; Dean didn't seem to hear her.

"I mean, who wants this life, huh? Seriously?" He looked at Sam and Andie. "Do you two really like sitting in a car with me all day every day?" Sam and Andie exchanged a shrug. "I don't think so!" Dean announced. "I mean, I drive too fast. And I listen to the same five albums over and over and over again, a-and I sing along. I'm annoying, I know that. And you--you're gassy! You eat half a burrito and you get toxic! And Andie," He pointed at her. "You're moody!"

"Oh, piss off." Andie snapped back.

"I mean, you know what?" He tossed his car keys at Sam. "You can forget it."

"Whoa, Dean, where are you going?" Andie called after him.

"Stay away from me Andie, okay?" He held his hand up to her to keep her at bay. "Cause I am done with it. I'm done with the monsters and -- and the hellhounds and the ghost sickness and the damn apocalypse! I'm out. I'm done. Quit." He strode off down the street leaving Sam and Andie with bewildered looks on their faces.

"I'll follow him." Andie offered.

"Ok; I'm gonna check back in with Bobby; see if he's got something." Sam suggested hopefully.

"Like what?" Andie asked as she grabbed her shoulder bag out of the Impala. "He'll suddenly have a miracle cure that'll fix Dean?"

Sam sighed. "No…but maybe he'll have a way to deal with Luther. We get rid of him; the sickness should reverse."

"Should?" Andie repeated. Sam just shrugged hopelessly. Andie took a deep breath. "Ok; I'll call you." She said as she took off after Dean.

She followed Dean as best she could; but he was quicker than she realized. Every time she managed to pinpoint his location with her mind; he was gone by the time she got there. Andie looked all over this side of town before she gave up and headed back to the hotel to meet up with Sam and start looking again. But she needn't have worried because when she entered the motel room, she found the eldest Winchester sitting on the couch nervously rocking back and forth. "Dean," She said with relief as she held her arms out at her sides. "Where the hell were you? You kept zipping off my radar. How did you get back here?"

"Ran." Dean said shakily.

"You ran." Andie repeated as she sat herself atop the coffee table.

"What do we do now?" Dean asked. "I got less than four hours on the clock. I'm gonna die, Andie." He said in a whisper.

"You are _not_ gonna die." Andie smiled at him as she shuffled forwards on the table so she was in front of him. "I won't let you go back." She added.

"Back?" Dean jumped to his feet.

"To Hell." Andie got to her feet. "I won't let them take you back there."

"No! You get out of her, you evil son of a bitch!" He screamed at her.

"Dean!" Andie grabbed him by his jacket and pushed him back against the wall. "What's going on?!"

"You leave her alone." Dean growled under his breath as his lips quivered in anger. He struggled to pull himself out of Andie's grip.

"Dean!" Andie shoved him again to shake him into coherence. It seemed to work. "Hey." She rested her hand against his chest; thankful to see he wasn't staring at her as if she was a stranger anymore. "Everything ok?"

"I'm ok…" Dean assured her in a less-than-convincing voice.

"What happened…" Andie narrowed her eyes at him. "I was…you said…who did you think I was?"

Dean shook his head. "Nothing; never mind. Just a hallucination, I guess." He tried to laugh but he knew trying to pursuade Andie he was fine when he wasn't was as effective as trying to convince himself of the same thing.


	19. Chapter 19: What The Ghost Dragged In

**Chapter 19**

_Look What The Ghost Dragged In_

Andie watched Dean carefully as he chuckled to an old _Gumby_ cartoon on the aging television. If he sat still and zoned out; he seemed to be less paranoid. However, every time Andie scuffed her feet or cleared her throat, he jumped a mile. She would never admit it; but she actually liked taking care of Dean like this. His strong, bold bravado had ebbed away since he'd been infected and now he was more dependent on Andie than he would ever allow himself to be in their normal lives. Well, as normal as two hunters could be.

This newfound feeling of protection had snuck up on Andie as fast as Dean's ghost sickness was spreading. Faced with losing him again, her attitude had changed. Last time, before he'd gone to Hell, she had run herself ragged searching for a way to save him. They'd been married, she'd tried to sell her soul, if there was a possibility of saving him; she had been determined to try it out. But this time, it was all up to Sam. She had to trust in him that he'd find the solution. There was an odd sense of calm in that.

Andie's cell phone rang after she'd spent a good twenty minutes convincing Dean that he wouldn't get electrocuted if he changed the television channel. "Tell me you have good news." She said to Sam as she'd read his number on the caller ID.

"Great." Sam answered. "Bobby thinks he may have a way of saving Dean. Well, moreso destroying Luther."

"That's fantastic," Andie's eyes lit up. "So what is it, exactly?"

"Basically we gotta scare the crap out of him." Sam said.

Andie paused. "Great…I was worried it was going to be a _difficult_ plan." She said sardonically.

"How's Dean?" Sam asked.

Andie glanced over at her husband who was watching cartoons and mindlessly scratching his inner elbow. "Bearable." She took three quick strides over to him and thwacked him behind the ear to stop him scratching.

"Just ride out the trip, ok?" Sam said in a calm voice. "It's gonna be fine."

"Yeah, ok." Andie hung up and sighed, watching Dean change the channel because Pokey had been lassoed by a cowboy and was being lynch roped down the street. "Hey, Dean," Andie gave him enough warning that she was approaching so he wouldn't freak out. "You ok?"

"Yeah, just fine." Dean muttered, nervously flipping the remote over in his hand. "That Sam? What'd he say?

"You're gonna be fine." Andie assured him, sitting herself atop the arm of the couch.

"Easy for you to say," Dean replied. Not harshly, just worried. "You're not staring down the barrel of hell for the _second_ time in a year."

"Everything is going to be ok." She promised him. Then she sighed; she'd said those words so many times; did they really mean anything anymore?

"No offence, Andie, but how can you be so sure?" Dean started to wring his hands together.

"Dean…" She sighed again. "Look, I'm not good at…" The words escaped her. She slid herself down off the arm of the couch so she was sidled up beside Dean. "I just need you to trust me here." She smiled and rested her hand against his shoulder. "You're not going anywhere." He turned to her; his eyes slightly less worried than they had been. "I won't let you leave me again."

Dean leant towards her slowly, his lips parted to press a warm kiss against her lips, when suddenly he jerked his head towards the door. "Did you hear that?" He whispered.

"Hm?" Andie had been awaiting his kiss; but now she saw his face was cringed in fear. "What?"

"That!" He yelped, bouncing up off the couch.

Andie didn't hear anything; she clambered to her feet and stood in front of Dean. Sam was close to a solution; she just had to keep him calm for a little bit longer. "Dean; it's ok. You're-" An ear splitting crack cut Andie off mid-sentence as the door to the motel snapped off its hinges and rattled to the floor. In the doorway stood Sheriff Britton, but he looked different. He was sweating, panting and had a crazed look in his eyes. He also had a pistol shaking in his hand.

Dean grasped Andie by her wrist and pulled her next to him. "Sheriff; what are you doing?"

"Why are you looking into Luther Garland's death?" The Sheriff wheezed exhaustedly as he swaggered into the room.

Andie noticed a scarlet seepage stain on the Sheriff's right arm. "Hey; hey you're sick." She told him.

"Yeah, you are," Dean noticed the stain as well. "Just like me, ok?" He showed the sheriff the road rash on his arms. "You've gotta relax."

The Sheriff smiled; but it wasn't happiness in his eyes. It was something else glaring back at Andie and Dean, something evil. Britton advanced on Dean and cracked a heavy jaw aside his face. "Frank O'Brien was my friend!" He bellowed as Dean stumbled back into Andie. "So he made a mistake, so I didn't bust him…so what?!"

Andie stood in front of Dean; she didn't like using her telekinesis on mortals…but he was clearly affected by the same sickness that Dean was. Plus; he had a gun. She didn't really have a choice.

"You're gonna bring me down over that?" The Sheriff screamed at Dean. "No, sir!" He raised his gun at Dean.

Andie instinctively waved her hand at him and the gun flew out of his hand. She prepared to toss the Sheriff away as well but he didn't react the way she thought he would. He seemed to be hearing something that Andie and Dean could not.

"Get away from me!" He hollered at the roof, clutching the sides of his head in anguish.

"Hey, man, you gotta calm down!" Dean tried to reason with Britton.

"Stay back!" He shouted as he clutched his rapidly heaving chest. "Stay b-back!" He sank down to his knees and then fell backwards into the glass coffee table. It shattered under his weight sending shard of glass scattering across the floor. The Sheriff laid motionless, his face contorted into a mangled expression as though he'd run out of oxygen.

Andie was clutching Dean's wrist and could feel his heart pulsing through his veins. His chest, too, was heaving in and out as he stared at the Sheriff's body in terror. "Go sit down." She shoved him gently towards the bed in the other room as she appointed herself the task of checking if the Sheriff was still alive. Human deaths were harder for Andie to be involved in. Demons, ghosts, anything she could kill with a silver bullet; _that_ she could handle. However, a human life that's been suddenly cut short disturbed Andie to a much greater extent; and she wasn't sure why. Gently, she pressed her middle and forefingers to Sheriff Britton's throat but felt no life beating through his veins.

Dean sank onto the mattress and chewed on his tightened fist. At his feet, he noticed the corner of a Bible sticking out from under the bed. He snatched up the holy text and held it to his mouth; silently praying for something, anything to make this anxiety disperse; anything to take away this feeling that he was going to be sucked back down into the fiery pits below.

Andie was covering the Sheriff's body with an old sheet she'd found in the linen closet when she heard Dean's strangled cries from the bedroom.

"Huh, no! No!" He was shouting.

"Dean, what's wrong?" Andie joined him in the bedroom and saw him staring at something at about his waist height in front of him. He didn't seem to realize Andie was in the room.

"You-you are not real!" Dean cried out; pointing the bible out in front of him.

"Dean!" Andie hurried to him and grabbed him by the shoulders of his shirt. "Dean!" He still didn't register that she was there with him.

"You're not re-real." He struggled to speak and clutched his chest, very much in the same way as the Sheriff had only moments earlier.

Andie shook Dean's shoulders, waggling his head back and forth, but his eyes wouldn't focus on her. "DEAN!" She hollered. It wouldn't work; he just seemed to look straight through her.

"Why me?" Dean croaked in a weakening voice. "Why'd I get infected?"

For a brief second Andie thought he was looking at her, but his focus shifted almost immediately as he continued to babble incoherently. _No, _Andie's brain said to her, _no, this can't be it…this can't be how he leaves me…_. "Dean, snap out of it!" She shook him again.

Suddenly Dean gasped for breath and dug his hands into Andie's shoulders, his eyes locked into hers, boring into her mind; finally seeing her. Then something, a force Andie couldn't see and wasn't expecting, shocked them apart throwing Andie into the left wall of the room and Dean up against the right.

Andie's head smacked against the thick, wooden panel before she slumped to the floor. She didn't lose consciousness but her head spun and her vision blurred as her body flopped against the ground. She could see Dean, a fuzzy image in her mind, across the room lying motionless against the dresser. "Dean?" She tried to call out; but a strange mumbling noise came out of her mouth instead. Andie pushed herself back against the wall and forced her legs to propel her to an upright position.

"Dean!" That sounded better. She shook her head from side to side to shake out the blurry vision; it seemed to work as her surroundings became clearer. And it was becoming more and more obvious that Dean wasn't moving. Andie pressed herself off the wall and made a beeline for Dean. Her head was still throbbing and she felt incredibly dizzy. She tripped over her own feet and fell heavily to her knees. "Dean?" She crawled over to his side and noticed his bright eyes were wide open and seemed frozen. She murmured his name again and again as she stroked the side of his face; praying to whatever might be listening not to let him die again.

All of a sudden his whole body convulsed as Dean sucked in a huge breath. He continued gulping in air as he became aware that he was okay. His apparent vision of the young girl who Lilith had inhabited the day of his voyage to Hell had disappeared. Instead of her cold, wild eyes her was staring into Andie's striking, cerulean irises that were misted with worry as she stared down at him. "M…kay…" He said to her as he regained a regular breathing rhythm. "I'm ok."

Andie helped Dean sit up, one hand on his back and the other over his chest; his heartbeat throbbing quickly in time with her own. "What did you see?" She asked in a ragged voice. "I couldn't…you didn't see me…it was like I wasn't there."

Dean leant his arm against Andie's thigh and rested his aching head back against the dresser. "Lilith." He breathed. "It was Lilith."

"Lilith." Andie repeated; bile instinctively rising in her throat at the sound of the hellish demons' name. "You were just hallucinating." She assured him, noticing his inner elbow was now clear of the road rash he'd been picking at only minutes before. "Hey; look," She pointed out his healed wounds to him. "You're better…Sam did it." She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "He did it."

**xxx**

With Dean feeling much better; he and Andie met up with Sam and Bobby out near the saw mill. They were on their way out of town but were sharing a customary drink before they head off on their own ways. Bobby was leaning against his truck while Sam rested back against the Impala. Andie was sitting on the roof of the Impala with her legs dangling down and resting on the open passenger's side window sill.

"So you guys road-hauled a ghost with a chain?" Dean asked as he retrieved three more beers and handed one each to Andie and Sam.

"Iron chain etched with spell work." Sam explained as he took a beer from his brother and snapped off the lid.

"Hmm, that's a new one." Dean uttered as he opened his own beer.

"It was what he was most afraid of." Sam said as he snapped off his beer cap. "It was pretty brutal, though."

"On the upside, I'm still alive," Dean reminded them as he leant back against the Impala's open window with Andie's knees in his back. "So uh, go team!"

In defiance to Dean leaning against her, Andie swung her legs over his shoulders.

"How you feeling, by the way?" Sam asked his brother through gulps of beer.

"Fine." Dean assured him with a firm nod.

"You sure, Dean?" Bobby inquired. "'Cause this line of work can get awful scary."

"I'm fine. You want to go hunting?" He straightened his back, tightened his muscles and cleared his throat. "I'll hunt. I'll kill anything."

"Awwww." Bobby cooed with a smirk on his face.

"He's adorable." Andie squealed in a syrupy voice and tousled his hair.

"I got to get out of here." Bobby said. "You kids stay safe."

"You too, Bobby." Sam called after him. "Hey, thanks." He added, tipping his beer bottle to his wise friend before he drove off into the evening. "So, we ready to go?" He asked Dean and Andie.

"Definitely." Dean nodded, tossing his keys to his brother. "Why don't you drive this one?"

Sam was taken aback by the gesture. "Uh; thanks." He smiled.

"Get your sweet ass off my car." He said to Andie; grasping her wrist and helping her slide off his roof.

"What did you see?" Andie asked him as she landed safely on her feet.

"Hm?" Dean muttered as he tossed his empty bottle aside.

"Before, when I came back to the hotel," Andie reminded him. She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible not wanting him to think she was too worried. "You were looking at me like I was a stranger; yelling at someone to leave me alone…"

"Oh, that," Dean tried to laugh it off. "Nothin' I can't handle, Andie, don't worry 'bout it."

"Right." Andie smiled; though it wasn't a happy grin. She knew Dean wasn't going to tell her anything and she was too tired to instigate another argument.

"You coming with us?" He asked her, knowing that Andie was usually quite keen to get out of town. He had a feeling she didn't like him thinking she wanted to stick around; another show of her resolve not to illustrate weakness, he assumed. "Halloween next week…"

"I dunno…" The left side of Andie's mouth twisted upwards in a slight smile; this one _was_ of happiness, even if it was just a little bit.

"Come on," Dean took advantage of her exhaustion; it was working in his favour. She was less confrontational when she was tired. "I'll treat you real nice." He opened the rear car door for her and extended a hand to help her in.

This time, Andie smiled a full, happy smile. "You're an idiot." She conceded.

"Yes, I am." He proudly grinned back; leaning in and kissing her gently on the mouth. "That a yes?" He asked when she kissed him back.

Andie bit her lip. "For now." She turned her lips up in a wry grin and pecked a quick kiss to Dean's cheek before sliding into the backseat of the Impala.

"Still got it." Dean said happily to himself as he shut Andie's car door for her. He then climbed into the passenger's seat beside his brother and settled into the less familiar, but still comfortable, role of side-seat driver.

Sam gunned the engine and set the car into gear before peeling out onto the road and heading towards the East. As they drove away, Andie stared out her window to the saw mill. She thought of Jessie, the wife who had killed herself and started the chain of events that led to Luther's death. Andie wondered what was so bad in her life that caused her to want to end it. Inevitably; her thoughts drifted to her mother who had also committed suicide. Even though Andie had been young when that happened; she was old enough to see how depressed and unhappy her mother Lily had been. Andie wondered if Jessie had been the same; if she'd been so distraught with her life that death seemed like the better option. There was nothing worth staying for; no one worth surviving for. Sighing, Andie caught Dean's eye in his side view mirror and the pair shared a smile, a contented one, and she knew she had someone to survive for.

**xxx**


	20. Chapter 20: Before The Dawn

**Chapter 20**

_Before The Dawn_

Andie snuggled deeper into Dean, pressing her back against his warm chest. She could sense sleep creeping up on her and was definitely welcoming it into her body. The bed was uncomfortable, the motel was small and smelled faintly of motor oil and there had been a TV blaring loudly in the room next door for the past two hours; yet Andie was still content. Dean's left arm was wrapped around her; holding her close to his body. His breath tingled the nape of her neck as he slumbered quietly, as unaffected by the unpleasant surroundings as his brother sleeping in the bed across the room.

Just as Andie felt sleep overcoming her, an annoyingly familiar fluttering sound entered her ears. She told herself not to open her eyes; maybe he'd just go away. But her mind knew better. When Andie opened her eyelids just a crack; she saw Castiel was sitting, looking as virtuous as he ever had, atop the kitchen table with his legs resting on one of the dining chairs.

"Y'know, you really have the perching thing down." Andie growled quietly at him as she reluctantly lifted her head off her pillow.

"I'm sorry to disturb you." He replied in his calm, monotonous voice.

"I'm sure that's not true." Andie smirked as she leant up on her elbow. "What's wrong now?"

"There's something you need to see." He told her.

Andie peered over at Dean; he was still sound asleep.

"He won't wake," Castiel assured her as he silently rose to his feet. "Don't worry."

Andie slid Dean's comfortable arm off her and sat up. "I'm not worried." Her skin shivered in the cool, night air. Crossing her arms over her chest, Andie joined Castiel across the room. "I'm curious. What is it that I need to see that the boys' don't? Is this something to do with the Hierarchy?"

"No; not exactly," The angel told her. "You'll find out. And you'll be returned right back here when you've completed your task."

Andie gulped involuntarily. "That doesn't sound good. What task?"

"Don't be afraid; you'll be safe." Castiel said with a brief smile.

"Safe? Where am I going?" Andie's heart started thumping irregularly in her chest.

Castiel held his hand to Andie's forehead with his palm down and fingers extended. Andie barely had time to gasp as an ice cold rush ran over her body and she blacked out.

Bolting out of her unconsciousness like a nasty nightmare, Andie sprang up off her mattress clutching her chest. The cool rush was ebbing away the more deep breaths she took. She sank back down on her bed to collect herself and for the first time noticed her surroundings. Andie gasped.

She was in a very homely bedroom, much like one she'd seen in a Martha Stewart catalogue she'd used to kill a cockroach with at the last motel she'd stayed in. It had a large, comfortable bed with light blue checked bedding, two end tables with matching lamps on either side and a warm, fluffy rug on the floor. It was unlike any room Andie had stayed in before; but if she was honest with herself, she didn't mind it.

Bemused, Andie got up and headed over to the window which was shrouded in lace white curtains. The view was as beautiful as glossy magazine article; a picturesque neighbourhood with healthy, green trees and well manicured lawns. There were children riding their bikes on the path and a few boys playing a game of baseball in the middle of the road. Still confused, Andie turned back to the bedroom and caught site of her reflection in the mirror above the bureau. She squealed and gasped at the same time. Instead of her well worn navy boxer shorts and the white tank top she _had_ been wearing; she wore a pair of pale blue, flannelette pyjamas, definitely not Andie's first choice of sleepwear. Andie leant right in to the mirror scrutinizing her appearance. Her hair was a delicate shade of auburn, like brown sugar. She noticed more lines around her teal-coloured eyes and her forehead than she was accustomed too. As she pulled at the skin around her chin, Andie noticed the sparkling ring on her left ring finger. Her wedding band; it was still there. Andie's heart lifted; maybe that meant Dean was around somewhere.

Intrigued as to where exactly she was, Andie crept out of the bedroom into the hall. A clanging off pots and pans caught her ears from downstairs so she picked up her pace and jogged down the staircase. The house was just as homely and quaint as the bedroom had been. The living room had a fireplace in the corner with another rug on the floor and two comfy looking couches in the centre of the room. There were photographs lining the walls but as Andie went to inspect them; she was joined by someone else.

"Mummy! Mummy!" A little voice squealed from behind her.

Andie didn't even get a chance to turn around when she was hugged around the middle by a little girl, no more than eight years old with straight, shoulder length, golden-brown hair.

Unaccustomed to hugs from miniature strangers, Andie kept her hands up in the air as the child squeezed her. When the girl let go; she knelt down to her. "I, ah, I think you have the wrong house…_definitely_ the wrong mummy." She said, noting the hazel speckles in the young girl's emerald eyes. Andie's breath caught in her throat; these were Dean's eyes.

"Mummy, stop kidding!" The girl giggled and threw her arms around Andie again. Then she untangled herself and bolted into the kitchen excitedly chirping on about breakfast.

Now Andie's heart was pounding. She was sure her legs were shaking as she continued to walk towards the kitchen, but she let out a huge sigh of relief when she saw Dean cooking something on the stove.

"Dean." Andie breathed happily as she walked towards him. Maybe she wasn't crazy after all. "I'm so glad you're here." She engulfed him in a tight hug and let out a relieved sigh.

"Hey, Pricilla," Dean chuckled. "Why wouldn't I be?" he wrapped his arms around her back. "You hungry?" He pulled his arms from around her and went back to cooking.

"_Pricilla_?" Andie repeated. "Dean…what's going on?" she asked.

Dean gave her a strange look. "What do you mean? It's Saturday, Andie, we always have pancakes on Saturday, ain't that right Maddie?"

"Right Daddy." The little girl grinned back as she sat herself at the table.

Andie's head started spinning. _I'm still dreaming…_, she told herself, _I'm dreaming of some weird place in the future where Dean and I have a kid and for some reason he calls me Pricilla…this is all a figment of my tormenting bitch of an imagination._ Andie leant against the counter to steady herself.

"Is Allie awake?" Dean asked as he poured more pancake batter into the pan.

"Hm?" Andie asked; she hadn't been paying attention.

"Did you check on Allie?" Dean asked again.

"Allie?" Andie furrowed her brow.

Dean looked at her strangely. "Are you feeling ok?" He set the spatula down and turned off the stove then held his hand to her forehead. She looked a decent shade whiter than normal. "Maddie, go get your sister for me please, baby." Dean told the little girl. She nodded and scrambled off her chair.

"No…no I'm not ok…" Andie admitted under her breath. _Two kids? We have _two_ kids?! What is this place? Hell?_

"Andie," Dean rested his hands on her shoulders after Maddie was out of earshot. "What is going on?"

"This isn't real!" She replied in a hushed whisper. "Pinch me!"

"What?"

"It's a dream; and I really need to wake up, like, now." Andie picked up the spatula out of the pan and grabbed the flipping end with her hand. A white hot, searing pain steamed her skin causing Andie to let out a frightful scream.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Dean tugged her over to the sink and flicked the cold tap on, shoving Andie's hand under the stream of water.

"Dean, listen to me," Andie said firmly. "I'm not who you think I am. I mean, I am but I'm not the same. Like a minute ago I was standing in our motel room with Castiel-"

"The angel?" Dean cut in as he wrapped a damp tea towel around her burned hand.

"Yes, the angel!" Andie nodded, hoping he was following her crazy train of thought. "And he told me had to show me something, some sort of task, and…and then," Her mind went blank. "I…don't remember. I woke up here." Andie rested her forehead in her hand.

"It was a dream." Dean said soothingly rubbing her back.

"No, it _wasn't_!" Andie snapped, shrugging his arm off her. "Don't you get it? I don't know what's going on here! We have kids? We have a house? You call me _Pricilla_?! Where's Sam?! Why the _hell_ are you cooking?!"

"Andie…" Dean looked worried now. "The angels…that was years ago. Almost ten years, actually. The apocalypse is over. We won. No more demons."

Andie felt like he'd slapped her in the face. She was ten years into the future after they had won this apocalyptic war that she was still preparing for...they were alive, apparently very happy and had a family. It was a life was so normal that it was bizarre. "No more demons?" That was a statement Andie couldn't get her head around. She'd been fighting them her whole life; demons were the reason she was telekinetic. How could they just be gone?

"No," Dean shook his head. "Not after the battle, they were all either destroyed or too scared to come back up here." He chewed on his lip. "You really don't remember any of this." He realized.

"I don't." Andie said seriously. "It _hasn't_ _happened_ yet. You only got out of hell a few months ago!"

"Daddy?" Maddie's anxious voice called from the doorway.

Andie looked over and saw Maddie holding what Andie thought was a doll at first, but when the doll squirmed she realized it was a living, breathing baby. This had to be Allie; she couldn't have been more than a few months old but she, too, had Dean's beautiful eyes and chestnut brown hair. Andie noticed the troubled look on Maddie's face; she'd obviously heard some of the conversation.

"It's ok, Cookie," Dean said to her in a convincingly calm, fatherly tone as he headed over to his daughter and took the infant out of her arms. "Just eat your breakfast, ok?" He indicated to Andie to join him in the living room.

Still in shock, Andie started to follow Dean.

"Mummy, can I have some orange juice?" Maddie asked her as she sat in front of her pancakes.

"Um, sure…" Andie opened the fridge and saw a jug of juice. _At least something about this life is easy_. She poured a glass for Maddie and then went into the living room with Dean. He was rocking baby Allie back and forth near the fireplace.

"You can't be like this around Maddie," Dean spoke, careful not to alert oldest daughter. "You're scaring her."

"I don't wanna be like this at _all_." Andie whispered loudly. "I'm not supposed to be here."

"You said Castiel sent you here?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, but…" She bit her lip. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"Ok," Dean sighed and lifted Allie up against his shoulder and gently patted her back. "Maybe…maybe they switched your mind with the Andie who lives in _this_ time." He suggested.

"Why?" Andie shrugged. "Why? Surely it would make more sense to send me _back_ in time to change something? Or learn something?" She was really just throwing ideas out there; she had no idea what 'task' Castiel could have meant her to take on let alone why he'd send her to the future.

Dean's brow creased in confusion. "I don't think making sense comes into the angels' way of thinking." Allie started fidgeting in Dean's arms so he set her down in the playpen in the corner.

As she watched him set the baby down, for the first time Andie took notice of the pictures against the wall. She'd been so shocked when she had been hugged by Maddie that she hadn't noticed the playpen or the array of children's toys stacked in the corner let alone the photos that adorned the bookcase and surrounding walls. They were like a timeline, a photographed memory lane that Andie visually wandered down trying to comprehend being in her own life, just ten years into the future. The photos mostly depicted Maddie at various ages, although there was a family portrait that appeared to be from a recent Christmas with Dean, Maddie and a very pregnant Andie. And behind Dean, was Sam.

"Sam!" Andie cried with relief as she grabbed the frame off the bookcase. "Where is he?"

"He lives close." Dean told her. "Just down the road, in fact."

"So he's ok…we're all ok?" Andie held the picture to her chest. Maybe this was what she was here to learn? Maybe they would all make it through the apocalypse. "By the way, what's with that _Pricilla_ thing?" she asked.

Dean shrugged. "It's what we do. You call me Elvis; I call you Pricilla." He smiled. "I'm not even sure how it started...I think you did it to piss me off; I retaliated and – boom – we had nicknames."

Andie nodded slowly, digesting this information. Was this Castiel's plan all along? Having Andie see that they did make it through the battle? Maybe that might give her the confidence to fight to the end since this future was the outcome. "Wait, Cass?!" She suddenly remembered.

"She's ok, too," Dean chuckled. "She's travelling; sends us postcards all the time." He lifted a shoebox off one of the bookshelves and opened it up, sifting through the contents. "I think the last one was from Hawaii." He handed Andie a postcard with a shot of a picturesque beach scene at sunset.

"_Having fun, glad you're not here, love you, Cass_." Andie read with a smirk. At least someone was acting the same.

"Daddy; have you seen my soccer ball?" Maddie asked as she came in from the kitchen licking maple syrup off her fingers.

For the first time Andie noticed the little girl was dressed in a red uniform, apparently a soccer one, and bright red socks pulled up to her knees.

"It's out the back, baby," Dean told her. "Make sure your bag's ready for when Carole picks you up."

Maddie nodded and skipped back through the kitchen.

"She has a game today," Dean explained to Andie when he saw her puzzled expression. "Carole's one of the mum's from the school; she takes a bunch of the girls to this pre-game practice thing." He peered through the kitchen to make sure Maddie was outside than started in on Andie. "Ok, so where exactly are you from?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest. "I mean, what year?"

"2009." Andie answered as she sat herself in one of the comfy chairs and rubbed her temples; a sharp headache forming between her eyes.

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Wow...so you and I are still bickering every day?"

"Pretty much." Andie replied vaguely; gazing out the window at the perfect neighbourhood. "How long does it last?"

"Guess it doesn't ever really go away." He smirked. "Alright...I'll give Sam a call; explain this to him...maybe he can help us figure out what you're doing here."

"Thanks." Andie smiled appreciatively.

"Can you watch the baby?" Dean asked on his way into the kitchen.

"Oh, ah..." Andie got to her feet, babies weren't her thing. Aside from baby Charlie, who she'd been enlisted to save, Andie had an aversion to children and on a whole they didn't really like her.

"Right; 2009." Dean smiled. "You're still anti-baby. Forget it," He scooped Allie up out of the playpen and held her to his chest. "I can take her."

Andie took another deep breath; this life was a tough one to digest; but it seemed to be a pretty great life. Apparently she'd gotten over her issues and did have a happy future ahead of her. She understood that; so if that was what Castiel wanted her to learn...why was she still here?

_Honk! Honk!_

"Carpool!" Maddie called from out the back.

Andie peered out the window and saw a dark green SUV sitting out the front of the house. There were four or five girls about Maddie's age in the back in the same soccer uniform.

"Good luck, Pop-tart, we'll be there for your game." Dean slapped Maddie a high five as she bolted past him with a red and white soccer ball tucked under one arm and a water bottle under the other.

"Yeah, ah, good luck." Andie echoed awkwardly as the little girl passed her.

Maddie paused in front of her mother and cocked her head; Andie recognized this expression as one of her own. The little girl glanced back into the kitchen and saw her father busy on the phone, so she leant in closer to her mother. "Don't worry, Mummy." She whispered with a smile. "I'll do what you asked. I won't use my magic again; ever." She smiled and squeezed Andie tightly around the neck.

Back to being confused, Andie just stroked the back of Maddie's soft, auburn hair. The little girl detached herself from her mother and sped excitedly out the front door. Andie watched her get into the van with her teammates. A woman, the carpool driver Carole, waved to Andie as did Maddie. Andie plastered on a fake grin and waved back. She then waited until the car drove off down the street before she let her false smile fall back down until her mouth formed a small O. Her daughter had powers and for some reason the Andie in this time had told her not to use them. Andie had no idea why; as a child she loved her powers. Granted; her telekinesis was the only thing that kept her safe when she had lived on the street but even so; she loved that she had something that was only hers; nobody else's. When she had discovered she was destined to bear a magical daughter of her own; she had the rare thought that it would be very exciting to be able to teach said daughter how to use her powers to the best and most accurate ability that she could. So why on earth would she have told Maddie never to use them?


	21. Chapter 21: Dream Catch Me

**Chapter 21**

_Dream Catch Me_

"You ok?" Dean asked Andie as he wandered back into the room holding a pacifier in Allie's mouth. Andie was staring out the window with a crinkle in her brow.

"She has powers." Andie jabbed her finger out the window. "Maddie."

Dean nodded. "They both do."

Andie snapped her head around to look at him; she wasn't expecting that. "They're _both_ telekinetic?" She glanced at the gurgling baby in Dean's arms and felt a strange feeling in her heart...pride?

"Yeah, so far." Dean told her.

"_So far_?" Andie repeated. "What does that mean?"

"Well, Maddie...she has dreams." Dean shrugged, trying to play down the enormity of the situation. Andie didn't need _another _reason to freak out.

"What kind of dreams?" Andie was definitely intrigued now; no one in her family had prophetic dreams before. Then she remembered; _Sam_ used to have visions. Bad ones; he had told Andie it was like his head was splitting in two.

"Not like Sam's visions." Dean assured her; seeing the ripple of worry in her face. "She isn't in any pain when she has them; she just," He shrugged. "Dreams things that come true sometimes."

"So they both have powers..." Andie said slowly.

"Yeah; and Maddie has pretty decent control over hers." Dean said with proud grin. "I'm sure this one will, too." He jiggled Allie in his arms and she cooed happily.

"But for some reason I've told her not to use them," Andie continued. "Why did I do that?"

"Like I said; no more demons." Dean told her. "So no need for the powers. You didn't want the girls growing up feeling like freaks, being able to do things that normal people can't so you've been telling them not to use their powers anymore."

Andie couldn't think why she would ask them to do that. Sure, her telekinesis sometimes got the better of her but she never wished she didn't have it. She liked being unique. And when she didn't use it, it pent up and sometimes came out sporadically. She couldn't imagine how these contained powers would burst out of a child.

"Y'know, I'm gonna take Allie to watch Maddie's game." Dean spoke up, shifting the baby to one arm and rubbing Andie's shoulder with the other. "You should stay here and wait for Sam; I don't think you're up to seeing all the other soccer mums." He gently stroked the side of her face and kissed her forehead.

Andie began the mindless, maternal task of cleaning up after breakfast as Dean dressed himself and Allie before heading off for Maddie's soccer game. Glancing at the clock, Andie saw that it was almost ten in the morning. She was still in her pyjamas so she headed back upstairs to her bedroom, grabbed some clothes and then went in search of a bathroom. She found it at the end of the hall but soon realized that her life wasn't the only thing that had changed in the past ten years. There were strange contraptions on the side of the shower. Unsure of what might happen if she pressed the buttons, Andie just opened the shower door.

"_Good morning, Andie_." An automated, female voice spoke.

Andie almost jumped out of her skin. She noticed a speaker box on the door of the shower; it was automated. Cautiously stepping inside, the first thing she noticed was that there were no faucets; just the shower head. "Wh...?" Andie ran her hands over the tiles where the taps were meant to be.

"_Please select water temperature_." The voice asked.

"Ah...body temp?" Andie guessed, feeling completely insane to be talking with her shower.

"_Command; recognized_." The voice said.

The shower head started spraying Andie with perfectly heated water. As she showered, Andie quickly learned that the contraptions on the side of the shower contained shampoo, conditioner and soap and they were all voice activated.

After her futuristic shower, Andie dressed in jeans and a black singlet; she'd had to search through her cupboard to find something remotely like what she wore back in her own time. She had a lot more colours in her wardrobe these days, and even a couple of dresses. Not willing to completely fall into _this_ Andie's life, Andie located a pair of denim jeans and a black singlet buried underneath a bright yellow sweater.

Due to her experience with the advanced shower; Andie wondered what else was in her house so she took up her much loved passion of snooping. Although, it wasn't really snooping since it was her own house, but she still felt a bit weird about it. The first room on the right was Maddie's; it had her name on the door. The walls were painted sky blue with patterns of yellow swirls and flowers stamped across it. She had a desk in the centre of the room covered in crayons and drawings. Andie picked up the closest one; it was of three smiling people; two women and a little girl. The girl was holding both the women's hands and all three were dressed in the same clothes; a red dress. Andie set the drawing down as her eyes locked on a photo atop the bedside table. It was a photo of Maddie and Andie; the pair were smiling and pulling faces at the camera. She was such a beautiful little girl; she reminded Andie of her Grandmother, Ellie. She had one childhood picture of her and always remembered thinking how she looked so much older than she really was. Maddie had that look.

The next room was a nursery; Allie's room. It was painted in soft yellows and tinges of lilac. Her crib was made from beautiful, polished timber with white, cotton blankets that had teddy bears in various poses patterned across the fabric. Her window looked out the backyard where Andie saw a swing-set and slide as well as a handful of other toys scattered around the lawn. It was the perfect life.

"Used to it yet?" A familiar voice called from the doorway.

Andie knew who it was before she even turned around. "Sam!" She cried happily. "Thank God you're here."

**xxx**

Sam knew Andie's house better than she did, so he led the way to the kitchen and made her coffee while she sat herself at the kitchen table. Sam had given her a couple of photo albums to familiarize herself with her daughters' lives. Each album contained their birth certificates. Madeline Elizabeth Mary Morgan-Winchester; her eldest's full name honouring Andie's grandmother and Dean's mother. And apparently Dean and Andie had never resolved the argument as to what to do with their last names. Then there was Alexandra Lillian Cassidy Morgan-Winchester, Allie had been named after Andie's mother and her best friend. Sighing loudly, Andie closed both photo albums.

"You ok?" Sam asked as he sat a mug of coffee in front of her.

"My children's names sound like law firms." Andie grumbled, resting her jaw in her hand.

Sam chuckled. "Yeah; kinda." He agreed.

Andie smiled vaguely, Sam looked really great. He had aged very well. His hair was a little shorter and he had more smile lines than Andie recalled, but he looked just like she had pictured he would. He was still in excellent shape and bore no air of tortured grief as he did in her time. Apparently, whatever he had been doing with Ruby he was no longer involved in. And as a result; he looked fantastic.

"As for your task," Sam was saying. "I don't even know where to start."

Andie took a long drink from her mug before answering him. "Maybe it's a demon? Or some sort of supernat-"

"No." Sam cut her off. "We haven't fought, seen or heard of a demon in almost nine years." He shrugged his muscular shoulders. "I'm not sure I'd know where to start."

"Aren't you helpful," Andie murmured sarcastically. "Ok," She slumped her head in her hands. "Let's get back to basics then, shall we? Journals. My mum's, your dad's. Maybe I made a note or something..."

Sam and Andie poured over John Winchester and Lily Morgan's journals' for the better part of the afternoon; Andie found a lot of new information that she had written in the past couple of years since the birth of her daughters. There was a good extra hundred pages or so to it than what Andie's remembered. It was strange reading her own words about events in the future. Plus, Andie noticed that there was a definite change in her attitude in the years that had passed. She supposed motherhood agreed with her in the future; she'd never really thought about it that much. There was even softness to her handwriting; it had a pretty cursive swirl to it as opposed to her normal, scratchy scrawl. Yet another change Andie had to immediately get used to.

"We're home!" Dean's voice echoed through the house at around six o'clock. "Sorry we're late; team went out for pizza."

"We won!" Followed Maddie's triumphant squeal as she skipped into the kitchen. "Uncle Sam!" She through herself at him and squeezed him around the neck.

"Heya, Goober!" He kissed the top of her head. "You won, huh?"

"Yeah; and I scored!" She jumped off Sam's lap and mimicked kicking a goal. "It was the coolest."

"Sure was." Dean agreed as he came into join them, Allie slumbering in his arms. Apparently still on a winning high; Maddie then took off upstairs with Dean calling out after her to get out of her soccer uniform. "So how'd you two get on?" He glanced apprehensively at the open journals on the table. "Wow; haven't seen those in awhile. Find anything?"

"Not of use, no." Andie replied dejectedly; closing the page of her mother's journal.

"Andie; you look like hell," Dean stroked the back of her hair.

"Poor choice of words." She mumbled, glancing at Allie as she stretched in her father's arms.

"I'll put this one to bed." He kissed his baby daughter on the top of her head. "Come on, baby." He whispered to her sweetly.

Andie watched Dean and Allie disappear upstairs and turned back to Sam. "See _that_?" She jabbed a thumb towards the staircase. "That is very hard to get used to."

Sam chuckled. "Dean mentioned that."

"I mean, the Dean I know is not that kind of guy." Andie explained. "If I found out I was pregnant right now, in 2009, I'm positive I'd find him hyperventilating in the back of the Impala.

"It's been almost ten years, Andie," Sam reached out and nudged her arm. "Things change."

"Yes, I see that." Andie

Sam stayed for the rest of the evening but took of around eight o'clock. Andie, exhausted from her day of discovery, and Dean, wiped from spending all day with the girls, headed to bed early. If Andie thought it had been weird that morning; her new life jumped up a whole new notch on the crazy pole as she prepared for bed. "Prepared" being the operative word. Dean didn't prepare for sleep; he slept where he fell, half the time wearing the same clothes he'd been wearing all day. Now, he had a routine. Brushing his teeth, getting in pyjamas, checking on the girls, and then climbing into bed. Andie wasn't sure what her 'normal' routine was; so she just followed Dean around and then yanked the blankets back from the bed as Dean returned from peering in on his daughters.

"Maddie wants to say goodnight." Dean said through a yawn as he made a beeline for his mattress.

"She does?" Andie raised her eyebrows. She'd only spoken a handful of words to the little girl; and to be honest she was intrigued to talk to her about her powers. But she didn't want to traumatize her; as far as Maddie knew Andie was still the same mother she'd known the day before and not an imposter.

"She won't bite, Andie." Dean climbed into bed and rested back against his pillows. "She's just a kid. _Your_ kid; I might remind you."

"Ok; ok," Andie waved her hands up in defeat as she exited the room. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

The hall was quiet and calm; peaceful. Andie peered into the nursery and saw Allie slumbering the night away in her crib. She then moved onto Maddie's room and hovered in the doorway. The little girl was already tucked in and waiting for her. "Hey, kid," Andie called from the doorway. "So, ah...goodnight."

"Goodnight." Maddie smiled at her and snuggled into her pillows. "And don't worry," She added. "I know you're not my real Mummy."

Andie paused in the doorway. "What?" She managed to say after a brief moment of shock.

"It's ok," Maddie leant up on her elbow. "My real Mummy told me not to be scared of you."

Andie shut the door and went over to Maddie's bedside. "I told you – I mean, your real mum told you about me?"

Maddie shook her head. "No, silly, _I_ told _her_ about you." She smiled. "I dreamed it."

Andie's mouth pulled upwards into a smile. "And what did you dream, exactly?"

"I dreamed you got your hand burned." Maddie reached out and touched the fading burn on Andie's hand from the incident in the kitchen that morning. "I dreamed you didn't wanna hold Allie. And I dreamed what we're saying right now."

"Huh...that's quite the dream." Andie mused. "When did you have it?"

"Last week." Maddie answered. "But my real mummy says I shouldn't talk about my dreams anymore; that they don't come true." A small smile spread across her face. "But this one did."

"Yeah, I guess it did." Andie mumbled, pulling her knees up and hugging them to her chest.

"Do you think," Maddie sat up and tucked her knees up to her chin just like Andie. "That means my other dreams are real, too?" She spoke in a tentative, hushed whisper.

"'Other' dreams?" Andie had wanted intrigue; and she'd found it. "Like what?"

"I've been dreaming of a house; an old house." Maddie explained. "And there's a girl inside; she's really sad. She wants her mummy and daddy but they can't hear her."

"You have this dream a lot?" Andie tried to sound nonchalant, but with the way Maddie was speaking so confidently about her dreams, she imagined that the little girl didn't fear these dreams; they were just a normal thing for her.

Maddie was quiet for a moment as she pondered Andie's question. "All the time." She answered. "But sometimes my dreams _don't_ come true...so how do I know if _this_ one is real?"

"Well..." Andie pursed her lips together and tried to think of an explanation. She wondered if her future self had improved when it came to dishing out advice. "Maybe when you get another sign? Like, you'll see something when you're awake that'll make you think of what you dreamt. Then you know what you're seeing is real; and not just a regular dream." She paused. "Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah; I guess." Maddie muttered, flopping back against her cushions.

"Things always seem worse at night," Andie told her; her words echoing ones she remembered hearing from her mother about a million years ago. "It'll be better in the morning."

"Ok." Maddie smiled tiredly and closed her eyes. "Goodnight."

Smirking wide enough to be mistaken for a smile, Andie made sure the little girl was completely covered in her blanket and got to her feet. "Goodnight, Maddie." She whispered.

When she climbed into bed beside Dean, Andie pulled the covers up to her shoulders. "You awake?" She asked him.

"No." He grumbled; opening his eyes a crack. "What's wrong?"

"How accurate are Maddie's dreams?" Andie asked, turning on her side so she could see his eyes. "Like, does she see car accidents? Or does she predict stuff? What does she see?"

"It changes." Dean replied, shuffling closer to her. "Sometimes she dreams of people, sometimes of places. She knows bad things are going to happen, but you don't like her talking about it."

"Yeah; she mentioned that." Andie muttered, curious as to why she would do that.

"She used to get upset when she had them." Dean explained, sensing the confusion in Andie's voice. "She didn't want to go to sleep anymore because she was afraid of what she'd see. So you've been telling her they won't come true if she doesn't believe they will; that they're just dreams. She's been better."

Andie mulled his over as she chewed on her bottom lip. Maddie had just admitted to her she'd been having a recurring dream. She wasn't 'better'. Andie had the uncomfortable feeling in her gut that Maddie had convinced her future mother that she wasn't dreaming anymore when, in fact, she was and the dreams were getting more vivid.

"Don't worry, Andie," Dean shifted closer to her and wrapped her in his arms. "It'll all be ok."

Andie twitched uncomfortably in his arms. She was not used to him being like this. This Dean was calm, collected...responsible. The day before she'd been arguing with Dean about who invented ketchup. Dean maintained it was a multi-national company who had gotten together and marketed it while Andie wholeheartedly claimed it was invented by Henry John Heinz; and that was where the business Heinz came from. Now; Dean was cuddling her in bed like they were just any other happy couple. It was strange and gave her an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Demons she could handle. Ghosts were a breeze. Anything remotely supernatural; Andie could hold her own. But real life...definitely not her forte. However, discomfort didn't necessarily mean bad. Hadn't she been lying with Dean this same way before Castiel showed up; resting her back against his chest and hugging his arm over her body? She certainly didn't feel anxious with Dean; it was just the rest of this life that was freaking her out. Andie had barely been prepared for the one child she was destined to have; let alone two. A solid marriage, beautiful children, a nice house, an awesome brother-in-law and no demons; surely that wasn't a bad future to look forward too. It was just different than the life she thought she was going to have. Although judging by how settled she felt in this bed with Dean's arms protectively cradling her; different certainly did not mean bad. Resolving to be much more receptive to her new life in the morning, Andie closed her eyes and awaited a peaceful sleep. Until...

"Mummy!!!"

**xxx**


	22. Chapter 22: Unreality

**Chapter 22**

_Unreality_

Dean shot out of bed after hearing Maddie's cry. "Maddie?" he called as he barged into her room. His daughter was sitting up in bed with a horrified look on her face.

"Daddy!" She reached her arms up for him.

"It's ok," Dean scooped Maddie up and held her to his chest; she was crying. "It's ok."

"What happened?" Andie asked from the doorway.

"She's hurt; the girl in the house." Maddie wailed as Dean patted her back. "She's mad at me 'cos I'm not helping her."

"It's ok, baby," Dean soothed her as he gave Andie a worried look. "You're ok."

It took a half hour or so for Dean to get Maddie back to sleep. Andie, on the other hand, couldn't get comfortable. She lounged around in bed until about five-thirty then gave up and headed downstairs. She thought maybe she could figure out how to find and make coffee in this place; but she didn't get a chance to start. When she came into the kitchen, Maddie was sitting at the table writing in a notebook.

"Hey, kid," Andie greeted her. "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't go back to sleep." Maddie replied; resting her head in her hands.

"What are you writing?" Andie sat across the kitchen table from her.

"My dream." Maddie answered; pushing the notebook over towards Andie. "I have to do it in the morning so Mummy doesn't see. She gets sad when I have dreams."

"Hey; with your dreams," Andie asked; glancing over Maddie's detailed descriptions. "Do you always wake up like that?"

"Not always," Maddie shook her head and pulled her notebook back over to her side of the table. "Only when they get mad."

"They." Andie repeated. "The people in your dreams, you mean."

"Uh-huh." Maddie nodded and closed her book.

Andie couldn't help but notice how troubled she looked. If television had taught her anything, it was that children her age should be playing with dolls and drawing pictures and collecting butterflies; not suffering from horrific supernatural dreams.

"What do I normally do when you have these dreams?" she asked.

"Nothin' anymore," Maddie sighed. "Not since I stopped telling about them. But you used to take me to the mall."

"The mall?" Andie repeated with a smile. "Right; I'm not falling for that one."

"No; she does!" Maddie giggled. "We go and get a frozen yoghurt and then walk around for awhile."

Sighing, Andie agreed. She wasn't going to be here long, at least she hoped not, so if frozen yoghurt would make the child happy; she may as well do it. They waited until later in the morning, left a note for Dean and then headed to the car. Maddie pointed out Andie's handbag to her and helped her find her keys; it was nice having a little navigator right now. It certainly helped get her head around things. Andie had never been big on malls; but Maddie was almost bouncing out of her seat with excitement when they arrived. She directed Andie through the streets to get there and parked in what she touted as "our special parking space". Maddie seized her mother's arm as they headed into the mall and pulled her around to all the different stores; but she didn't seem to know where exactly she wanted to go so Andie started making some suggestions.

"How about books; you like books?" Andie asked as they passed _Borders_.

"Yeah!" Maddie was very excited at this notion.

"Great." Andie led her into the book shop. "Let's do books then." She could tell Maddie had been here before as she headed directly for the children's section without pausing. Andie wondered if perhaps the little girl was humouring her so she didn't feel like such an epic failure. While pondering her lack of maternal instinct, Andie felt her cell phone buzzing in her pocket. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, where are you?" Dean sounded slightly frantic. "Did you get lost?"

"No, I'm fine." Andie assured him, moving across to another aisle to get out of earshot. Maddie had been looking out the large window behind the bookshelf. "The kid is, too, don't worry."

Dean let out a very obviously relieved sigh. "So where are you?"

"The mall." Andie told him in a low voice. "Wanted to divert her attention to something other than her dream. Books work; just so you know."

"You sure she's ok?" Dean asked again.

"She's fine. I left her in the car." Andie replied, smirking. "Don't worry; I cracked a window."

There was a dead silence at the end of the line.

"Dean, I'm kidding." Andie sighed. "But good to know what you think of my parenting." She hung up and headed back to the children's section. "Come on, kid, let's go." But she didn't see Maddie looking out the window she had been before. "Maddie?" Andie pocketed her phone and started scanning the aisles nearby. Maddie wasn't in the History section, or the Non-Fiction section.

"Maddie?!" A strange feeling was creeping into Andie's stomach.

She wasn't in Science, Young Adult or the reading section where the younger children played while their parents browsed the shelves. She wasn't anywhere.

"Maddie?!"

"Miss, is something wrong?" A middle aged woman with short, cropped black hair and a pair of red-rimmed spectacles asked her.

"Have you seen a little girl?" Andie asked, her voice shaking. "She's about nine years old, her name's Maddie."

"No, where did you see her last?" The woman, whose nametag read Marie, set the books she was holding down on her cart.

"The children's books." Andie said, her eyes darting around the book shop frantically searching for her daughter. "I was on the phone; I turned around for a second." Worry crept up Andie's spine as she realized the enormity of the situation. She'd lost Maddie; how was she supposed to tell Dean? How could she leave this store without her? She couldn't; she wouldn't.

"Ok, I'll call security and make a store announcement," Marie smiled, trying to sound reassuring. "She can't have gone too far." She headed for the counter at the front of the store.

"Maddie?" Andie called again as she checked the front of the store, wishing she knew more about Maddie so she could narrow down where she might have wandered off to. Did she like animals? Would she be at a pet store? Or maybe she liked playing with other children and had met up with some of them, somewhere.

"Ma'am, can I help you?" A security guard asked Andie.

"Uh," Andie hadn't realized she'd drifted out of the store. "My daughter...she's gone."

"Ok, don't worry, ma'am, kids wander off all the time." He patted her shoulder. "Do you have a picture of her?"

"Ah, no." Andie shook her head and then remembered she was clutching her bag; her future self's bag. "Oh, wait, yes, I should..." She rummaged around in her purse and yanked out her wallet. Her hands shook as she opened it and saw some photos inside. There was one of the whole family and a couple each of both of the girls. One seemed to be a recent school picture of Maddie; Andie handed that one to the security guard.

"Thank you. Please don't worry, miss, they always turn up." The guard pulled out his radio and started to make an announcement.

Marie came back over to Andie with a glass of water in her hand. "Here; it'll help." She assured her. "My son is seven years old; I once lost him at the market because he thought he saw Superman out the window. Found him down the street in the park playing on the swings."

Andie was too on edge to appreciate the woman's sentiment. Her mood did not improve when she overheard an announcement on the security guards radio.

"_We have a witness claiming a girl fitting that description left the mall about five minutes ago_."

"Where?" Andie called to the guard; he didn't answer her. "Where?!" She yelled again stomping over to him. "Which way did she go?!"

"Ma'am, just calm down," The guard told her as he held up his hands to keep her at bay. "We'll send-"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Andie cried, smacking the guard hard on the chest above his pectoral muscles. "I have to find her!" The fear was creeping up Andie's throat and attaching itself to every word she spat in the guard's direction. "Tell me which way she went!" She shoved him again. "Tell me!" She was about to snatch the radio out of the guards' hand herself when she spotted another security officer coming in the back exit with a frightened looking little girl holding his hand.

"MADDIE!" Andie bellowed at the top of her lungs when she spotted the child. "Where the hell were you?!" She raced over, grabbed the child by her shoulders and shook her. "I've _never_ been so terrified in my entire life!" She cried in a shaky voice. "What would I have told your father?! Why would you wander off like that?! You _know_ how dangerous it is out here!"

"I'm sorry!" Maddie wailed tearfully. "I'm so sorry, Mummy!"

It shocked Andie when she realized that she was crying, too. "You can't walk off like that; _you're too important_!"

"I'm sorry, Mummy," Maddie cried again and again. "I'm sorry."

Andie clasped the little girl around the neck and pulled her to her chest, hugging her tightly. The terror in her heart slowly began to ebb away as her mind registered that Maddie was alright. She thanked the security guards and Marie for all their help and then carried Maddie out towards the car. She had calmed down now; apparently not realizing the affect wandering off could have on the adults around her. Andie set her down on the ground and took her hand; awkward or not, she wasn't going to take the chance of Maddie wandering off again.

"Why did you take off like that?" Andie asked; her tone considerably less frantic than it had been inside the mall.

"Cause I saw something." Maddie told her. "From my dream."

Andie stopped in her tracks. "What did you see?" She asked, kneeling down so she was eye level with her child.

"That house." Maddie pointed at an old, abandoned split level across the street from when they were standing.

Andie cocked her head and scrutinized the building. It was definitely very creepy; she got shivers just from looking at it. It had been abandoned many years before, judging by the overgrown weeds sprouting up over the lawn and slithering up onto the porch. The structure of the house had been severely damaged by the weather and most of the windows had been broken; presumably by unruly neighbourhood children throwing rocks at them.

"I saw it out the window of the mall." Maddie continued. "And you said if I got a sign about a dream I had; then that was how I would know it was a dream I shouldn't ignore."

"Yeah; I did say that, didn't I?" Andie mumbled.

"She's in there." Maddie said firmly.

"You're sure?"

Maddie nodded fervently. "I want to go in there."

Andie chewed her lip; it definitely wasn't the safest option. But if Maddie was right and there was a little girl in there who needed her help then it wasn't safe to leave either. Andie still had her power; she could fight off whatever was in there. More to the point; this was the closest indication of the 'task' Castiel had told her about. If this was what she was _meant_ to do while here then there was no chance she would sit back and wait. She wanted to go home; to the Dean and Sam she remembered and was really starting to miss. Squeezing the little girls hand tightly, Andie grinned at her. "Ok, kid, then let's go." Maddie smiled back and the pair of them headed towards the house.

**xxx**


	23. Chapter 23: Selfish Mistake

**Chapter 23**

_Selfish Mistake_

Maddie's hand tightened its grip on Andie's palm as the pair ascended the porch steps of the abandoned house. The paint was flaking just from the weight of their footsteps against the floorboards and each step they took brought a loud creak from the crippled stairs.

"Y'know, maybe," Andie whispered as they paused at the top of the stairs. "Maybe we should go get Dean..."

"No," Maddie shook her head firmly. "She's in there _now_."

Andie chewed her lip and sighed. She wasn't an idiot; she would never take the lead from an eight-year-old. But the sooner she saved this girl; the sooner she would go home and back to her old body. Ironically, it was also her younger body. There was no time to waste. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching them, Andie then reached for the rusted doorknob and slowly turned it. More paint flecks floated down to the ground as she used her weight to shove the door open. Her eyes were wide and ready; darting around for the first sign of trouble. But the inside of the house was as still as a portrait. The damaged floorboards continued from the porch into the living and dining rooms. The hall lead up to a second story with faded wallpaper and mirrors that had all been shattered. There was no sign anyone had lived there in many years.

"I think she's upstairs." Maddie whispered loudly to her mother as she started towards the staircase.

"Hold on a sec," Andie yanked her back to her side. "We have to be careful."

"And here I thought I had this place all to myself." A voice snarled to Andie's left.

Andie snatched Maddie by her arms and pushed her behind her back before she even looked up. What she saw made her stomach turn. He was a man; or at least he had been before he'd been possessed. He had deep scars on his face and his skin was a washed out gray as opposed to supple pink. His moth-eaten clothes were barely clinging to his skin and his hair was long, black and greasy. To top it off; he was carrying a large dagger in his hand.

"Here to play?" He asked; his lip curling up into a devilish smirk.

"Where's the girl?" Andie demanded as she tried to elbow Maddie's head away from peering around her waist to see the horrid man.

"Rosie's already playing," He replied, twirling his dagger between his fingers. "But she could use a friend..." He darted his beady eyes down towards Maddie's inquisitive face. "What's your name...?"

A sickening pulse ran through Andie so fast she could barely contain it. Her eyes winced and the demon was knocked back off his feet so hard that when he slammed into the wall the whole house shuddered.

"Wow!" Maddie gaped at the demon with an impressed look on her face.

"I know, right?" Andie detached from Maddie and stared at her hands. "I can't believe it came out of my eyes..." She flexed her fingers a few times; she was so used to controlling her power through her hands. It never occurred to her to use it another way. "I wonder if I can do this back..." She turned to Maddie; but the little girl was gone. "Maddie!" Her eyes caught the child running up the staircase. "Maddie!"

"Rosie!" Maddie was crying out. "We're here to help you! My mummy got the bad man!"

"Maddie!" Andie hollered frantically. "Get back here!" A horrible feeling was creeping into Andie's stomach; she shouldn't have come in here with Maddie, no matter how badly she wanted to get home. She started off after the child when something hooked around her arm and yanked her backwards off her feet. Andie landed on her back on the aged floorboards with a heavy thud. A searing pain shot through her forehead as the back of her skull collided with the floor.

"Clever trick," The demon snarled down at her; baring a set of yellow teeth. "Got something like that myself." He bent down and snatched Andie up her the shoulders of her jacket and then tossed her, as though she were light as a feather, against the bookcase. "A little more hands on...just the way I like it."

Her head spinning, Andie pressed herself up off the floor onto to be greeted with a hefty punch in the jaw. Her body slammed back to the ground. Her vision was blurry and she felt sick to her stomach as the demon gripped her legs in each of his hands and slid her the length of the living room where she came to an abrupt stop as she hit the fireplace.

"Mum?" Maddie's frantic voice approached.

"Maddie; run!" Andie managed to cry as she staggered back up onto her feet.

The demon hadn't noticed they had an audience until then; he turned his back on Andie and spotted Maddie with another girl. A smaller child, about the same age as Maddie, with dirty blonde hair and a grimy, tattered dress. Rosie.

"And just where do you think _you're_ going?" The demon pointed an evil finger as he stormed over to them.

"Maddie; look out!" Andie screamed as the demon lunged for her.

"No!" Maddie through both her hands up in front of her face as though preparing to slap someone a high ten. The demon didn't advance another inch; instead he was thrown up and back with an incredible force that threw him over the second floor banister and through the hallway divider.

Astonished; it took Andie a few seconds to make a move. When she finally came back to earth, she snatched up Rosie in her arms and grabbed Maddie with her free hand before bolting out of the house. She didn't turn back to make sure they weren't being followed until she'd run the length of the street. She set Rosie down on the ground as the three of them caught their breath. "Are...you...ok?" She asked the girls through heavy gasps.

"Think so." Rosie nodded tearfully; her eyes squinting in the bright sunlight.

"That was..._awesome_!" Maddie yelped excitedly. "Did you see how high he flew? _I_ made him do that." She started springing up and down on her feet.

"Ok, there'll be plenty of time later to bask in our brilliance," Andie mumbled as she nabbed both of the girls by the hand and headed off towards the shopping centre parking lot. "But we need to get both of you home." _And hopefully me, too_, she added to herself.

Rosie and Maddie held hands in the back seat of the car for the whole drive to the police station. Not sure what on earth she would say, Andie just took the little girl into the front desk and explained that she had found her wandering nearby the shopping centre. Rosie, keen to go home and eager to forget the horrible demon that had kept her captive, was more than happy to corroborate what Andie was saying and gave Maddie a huge hug before they left. The police wanted Andie's name and number but she managed to convince them that she was just a Good Samaritan doing what every normal mother would do if she saw a child on her own in the street. Thankfully the police officer didn't seem to notice that she was talking out of her ass.

Maddie chirped on and on the whole drive home about how much fun she had had using her power, and how her 'normal Mummy' didn't let her use it. Andie couldn't help but feel flattered that she'd wound up on Maddie's good side. Motherhood wasn't something Andie thought about; in fact it was one thing she feared quite heavily. But being here, in a future where she _knew_ she was a good parent, made it easier. Having said that...why was she still here? She'd saved Rosie. Maddie was happy. What else did she have to do? If that wasn't the task then she had no idea what Castiel had been talking about.

"We're home!" Maddie sang out as Andie let them into the house.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?" Dean snapped as he came in from the kitchen with his phone in his hand. "I've been calling everybody!" His eyes flickered to his daughter who was covered in soot and grime. "What happened?"

"Daddy; I smashed a demon!" Maddie blurted out excitedly. "He went flying!" She made a flying motion with her hands.

"Demon?" Dean repeated and shot a threatening look to Andie. "You took her to fight a friggin' _demon_?"

"Don't be mad at Mummy," Maddie told Dean. "I told her-"

"Madeline; go upstairs to Sam." Dean said firmly; his eyes not leaving Andie's.

Andie gulped. She'd never seen him so...silent. His anger was inaudible but very obvious. His eyes were narrowed and glassy; his jaw was clenched so tight Andie wondered if he might crack his teeth.

"But Daddy-" Maddie argued.

"Now!" He snapped.

"Maddie; come on," Sam called from the top of the stairs. He was jiggling Allie in his arms. "Let's play up here."

Pouting, Maddie stomped away from her parents and joined her Uncle and sister upstairs. Dean waited until he heard a door shut before he opened his mouth to speak. "You sent my daughter to fight a _demon_?"

"I didn't _send_ her anywhere." Andie replied. "I was with her the whole time." Suddenly; this didn't seem like a good argument. "She was having nightmares of that girl for a reason. And she saved her life."

"She's eight!" Dean reminded her, his voice rising. "She also wants a flying pony; what are you gonna do about that?"

"Dean; I am dying to get the hell out of here!" Andie found herself yelling back. "What if that was the task I had to complete?"

"Well, you're still here!" Dean retorted, slapping his arms at his sides. "So it didn't work, did it? You could have killed her, Andie!"

"Dean, you should have seen her," Andie found herself grinning, reminiscing how powerful Maddie had bee back at the house. "She was so fast and so strong; she threw that demon two stories up and she wasn't even scared!"

Dean's muscles flexed. "She's a child!" He snatched up Andie's shoulders between his angered fists. "She's _my_ child!" Furious tears welled in his eyes. "How _could_ you think that this was okay?" His eyes were boring into hers. "After _everything_ we've done to -- to stop this!" He seemed to have wished he hadn't said that. Dean clamped his mouth shut, let Andie go and ran his hand over his stubbled chin.

"Stop...?" Andie started to ask, but his words rang in her ears. _This_ was the crux of his whole argument. This was his problem; the supernatural. Andie realized it now. The reason she had been brought to _this_ moment in her future. Entering parenthood had made Andie and Dean revaluate their lives. That's why they lived so comfortably in such a sweet neighbourhood. That's why Andie had Maddie ignore her dreams. They were trying to be normal. Somewhere along the line; Andie had decided that's what she wanted even though right now, in her present life, she knew normality was the last thing she would ever obtain. And with Andie's familial powers pumping through their daughter's veins, Allie and Maddie would never be free of it either. "You wish they weren't like me, don't you?" She confronted him.

Dean loosely shook his hanging head. "That's not what I said." He mumbled; wincing and rubbing his temple.

"But it's true." Andie pressed. "You wish they were normal."

"I love my girls, Andie, don't ever question that." He ran a hand through his hair. "Do I wish Maddie didn't wake up screaming? Yes!" He folded his arms so tightly across his chest his muscles bulged in the confines of his shirt. "Do I wish Allie didn't scare herself to tears with her power? Yes!" Dean sighed and lowered his voice. "I wish they didn't have to have the lives that we did." He admitted to Andie. "We _swore_ we'd change it for them; make their lives safe. Now you show up and change everything that-"

"Change?" Andie had to hold back a laugh. "I didn't _change_ anything! Dean; this is in their blood!" A light clicked on in her mind; this was why she was here. "I thought I was here to help Rosie, and I was wrong. Then I thought I was here for Maddie...but now I know I'm here for you."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Last week, where _I'm_ from, we just saved you from that ghost sickness." Andie said. "Before that you saved me from a demon that flooded a lake. Dean, when was the last time you fought a demon here?"

Dean frowned. "Not important."

"Bull! You said there were no more demons? Well, Maddie's still having dreams and I sure as hell saw a demon today." Andie was happy to see Dean keeping his mouth shut. "There will _always_ be demons. And by ignoring it you're making the kids' lives more dangerous. You should be preparing them because, if today is anything to go by, they are going to have to fight!" She exhaled loudly; stung by the aggressiveness of her own voice.

Dean hung his head. "I really hate you sometimes." He mumbled.

"You love me." Andie patted her hands against his chest. "Who're you kidding?" She ran a hand over his aged, yet still supple skin and kissed him warmly. "I'll see you upstairs, ok?"

Dean nodded and gave her a small smile.

Grateful for the small gesture, Andie left him and entered the hall almost colliding with Castiel. "Fuc...crying out loud." She amended her curse. "What are you doing here?" She glanced back at Dean but he didn't seem to be able to hear her.

"It's time to go." Castiel told her. "You completed your task."

"Which part was the task?" She asked bitterly. "Realizing that I'll have a daughter who'll be plagued by demonic visions for the rest of her life? That Dean and I abandon hunting? That, for some reason, I live like a friggin' Desperate Housewife?"

Castiel was silent, ignoring her insolence, before he replied. "I showed you what your life could be like if you defeat Lilith." He explained carefully. "You'll give up hunting; you'll give up your destiny. And that can't happen."

"Destiny." Andie scoffed and rolled her eyes up to the heavens. "Here we go again, right? I'm _meant_ to be a hunter." She'd heard this speech many times before; she knew it by rote. "I'm _meant_ to fight the forces of evil, I'm _meant_ to save innocent lives, I'm _meant_ to give up my own life for the greater good."

"Exactly." Castiel said. "Demons will _never _be gone. Even when you think you're safe; you're not. And you never will be."You can _never_ relax. You're life will _never _be normal; and neither will your children."

"So why didn't you just tell me that?" Andie snipped; holding her arms up at her sides. "Why send me _here_?"

"Because you needed to _see_ it, Andie." Castiel took a long stride towards her so he was mere inches from her face. "The focus of your life is to hunt and then to fight. It's all you know; it's all you see yourself doing." His sparkling blue eyes were deeply focusing into Andie's cerulean irises as he chided her. "As this battle draws closer; I'm quite certain it's the only thing on your mind. But what about after that?" He cocked his head at her and scrutinized her with his wise face. "You don't have dreams or hopes. At least, you didn't. I gave you that; I gave you something to fight _for._"

Andie swallowed hard; sucking down the fear and sadness that had crept up her throat as Castiel had spoken to her. "But you just said my life will never be demon-free." She reminded him.

"It won't. But that doesn't mean you won't be happy." The faintest of smiles crossed Castiel's face. "Both of you." He held out his hand to Andie; his palm facing up. "Are you ready to go?"

"Uhh..." Andie glanced around to see Dean in the kitchen still blissfully unaware of the conversation. Then her eyes were drawn upwards, to where Sam was playing with his two nieces.

"They'll have no memory you were here." Castiel spoke up. "You're future hasn't been written yet."

Andie's head was starting to ache. "How can it not be written...I'm here..."

"Yes. But by coming here; you've already changed the course of your life." He paused. "Hopefully for the better." He cast his eyes down at his open hand.

With one final look back to the Dean she would never see again, Andie forced tears to stay put in her eyes and slid her hand into Castiel's. His hand was cool; yet there was a warmth beating beneath his skin. A security. Well; he was an angel. A cool rush shot up Andie's arm and immediately encompassed her body. Her eyes instinctively squeezed shut as an invisible hook seemed to pierce Andie from her middle and yank her up towards the sky.

The cold rush immediately ebbed away when Andie's eyes flew open. She was no longer in a hallway with Castiel; she was back in bed staring up at the ceiling of the motel with the lime green paint peeling off. Sam's soft snores were grumbling away across the room. An uncomfortable pain was jabbing her side so she rolled over, realizing it was Dean's arm that was digging into her rib. Her shifting seemed to wake him up.

"Mmm..." Dean groaned as he felt her move away from him. He tightened his arm around her middle and leant his cheek against her bare shoulder blade. "You 'k?" he asked tiredly, keeping his eyes closed.

Andie's skin tingled as she felt his warm breath on her back. She turned over so she was facing him."Yeah," She whispered. "I'm ok." She sighed heavily as Dean encased her in his comforting arms and gently pressed his lips to the top of her forehead. "Just had a weird dream." She added.

"Were we naked?" He asked just as tiredly, but he was able to muster a slight smirk.

"You were skinless." Andie joked.

"That's not sexy." He mumbled.

Andie smiled and leant against his bicep. She managed to crook her arm across Dean's warm, chiseled chest and hugged him tightly. He still didn't open his eyes and he tightened his grip around her. It was just an instinctual reaction to her; something they had figured out over time. Andie wasn't big on the touchy-feely stuff, and neither was Dean, but both knew when the other needed to be comforted. What that was, Andie couldn't say. Was it love? That didn't seem enough to explain it. She loved Sam and Cass as well. This was different. There was a bond, a connection between Andie and Dean that she couldn't den; something that drew her to him and latched on so she couldn't let him go. Even when she tried.

"I love you." She whispered so quietly she wasn't sure it had even made a noise.

"Love you, too." He said back; his lips unmoving as sleep took him over and he dozed off.

Smiling to herself, Andie snuggled as deep into his chest as she could and let sleep take her over. She felt calmer than she had before Castiel's visit. How was that possible? To return from a visit to the future and not be freaking out? She didn't want to bother trying to figure out why; she was sure it had been in Castiel's long-winded explanation of why he'd sent her there. _There_...she pondered. There, where she had a happy life. There, where she and Dean parented two beautiful daughters. There, where Andie had something she'd never considered before. A future.

**xxx**


	24. Chapter 24: All Hallows’ Eve

**Chapter 24**

_All Hallows' Eve_

_The day before Halloween, of course we would find a case_, Andie said to herself as she climbed out of the shower. Dean and Sam had taken off earlier that morning to interview a woman, Georgia Wallace, whose husband had suspiciously died from eating Halloween candy that had razor blades in it. Andie wasn't as comfortable in the FBI disguises as the brothers' were so she had welcomed the sleep-in while she waited for them to return. She tied her hair back in a scrunchie and threw on her favourite pair of denims and a red singlet that had cropped straps at the back which revealed her protection amulet tattoo. She didn't like seeing it; it reminded her of the day Cass had branded it to her skin in those weeks after Dean's death. Andie had hoped that the more time that passed she would get over that; just be happy that Dean was alive again, but every time she saw that tattoo, her mind transported right back to those four months. She hated it.

"Honey; we're home!" A muffled voice rang through the motel room.

Andie quickly snapped out of her thoughts and exited the bathroom to see Dean and Sam entering the hotel room. She was unable not to smile when she saw Dean shoving a piece of candy into his mouth. Only he wouldn't lose his appetite over a murder. "Really?" Andie raised her eyebrows at him. "After that guy choked down those razor blades?"

Dean just shrugged and popped another piece into his mouth. "S'alloween." He tried to say with his mouth full.

Andie just rolled her eyes. "How'd it go?" She asked his younger brother.

"Hex bag." Sam stated simply in reply as he tossed it at her.

Andie caught the small, velvet pouch in her hand. "Witches." She realized remembering that this was their clear calling card.

Sam nodded. "But I dunno; felt different somehow…" He slinked out of his suit jacket and removed his tie before setting himself up in front of his laptop for some research. "I'm gonna look into it a little more."

Andie gave him back the hex bag and let him be. She head into the kitchen and discovered Dean poring over a bag of candy he'd bought the night before. "How can you eat so much of that?" She made a face at him.

"How can _you _not?" He replied while unwrapping a chocolate and offering it to Andie.

"I'm good; thanks." She swatted his hand away.

"You're not big on the Halloween, huh?" Dean asked as he devoured the chocolate himself.

"We don't exactly celebrate it where I'm from." Andie told him as she sat herself up onto the counter. "And I don't get the concept. Some kid cuts some holes in a sheet and chucks it over his head and _I'm_ supposed to fork over the free candy?" She scoffed. "And if I don't; he toilet papers my house? What the hell kinda holiday is that?"

"That's the best part." Dean told her, moving so he was standing in front of her.

"The toilet paper or the candy?" Andie cocked her and smirked head at him.

"Both." Dean smirked then leant forwards and kissed her lightly on the mouth. He found Andie was more conducive to his advances when they were alone.

"You taste like candy." Andie told him as she retracted her lips from his.

"Naw, I'm sweeter than candy." He grinned.

"You're an ass." She sniped back.

"A _sweet_ ass." He corrected her, enjoying the game.

Andie opened her mouth to retort but Dean cut her off by pushing his lips against hers and kissing her deeply. Sighing, Andie just gave in. It was just easier that way; not to mention much more enjoyable. She sank into Dean's chest and tightly coiled her arms around his neck so their torsos were pressed together, her back arching involuntarily as a familiar tingle ran up her spine. Dean's hands lightly caressed her thighs then slid his up towards her hips where his fingertips gently took hold of her waist and pulled her closer into his body so her knees hitched around his middle. His hands travelled to her lower back and lightly moved across her warm, soft skin up underneath her shirt.

"Hey, guys?" Sam's voice travelled in from the living room.

Dean let out a frustrated sigh and hung his head. "Until later?" He promised her; annoyed that once again his brother had interrupted a pleasurable moment with his girl. She had been in an uncharacteristically good mood this past week, since Dean had recovered from the ghost sickness. He attributed her happiness to the fact he hadn't gone back to hell as the sickness seemed to promise. It didn't really matter to Dean _why_ she was happy; just that she was, for once. And he was able to steal moments like this with her without her pulling away, snapping at him or calling him a 'belligerent, horny nerd-burger'; as was her most recent insult.

"Uh-huh." Andie replied casually, playing like she hadn't been as into the moment as her other half had been, detaching herself from Dean, sliding off the counter and heading in to Sam.

"Too cruel." Dean murmured loud enough for her to hear.

Andie shot a smile back at him and skipped back into the living room. Since her little foray into the future, Andie had been re-evaluating a few things. She didn't like letting on to Dean that she needed him. It was weird; she knew that, but she couldn't help it. But that didn't mean she had to be some cold, hard bitch. Now; she was enjoying their moments together and initiating them as often as possible. It was definitely a more enjoyable option

In the living room, Sam had laid out the contents of the hex bag on the coffee table when Andie and Dean joined him. The supernatural insides of the pouch included a silver piece of jewellery about the size of a penny, what appeared to be a dried flower and some small, charred objects that looked like tiny twigs.

"What is that?" Dean asked, pointing to the dried up flower.

"Goldthread," Sam told him as he twirled it in between his lean fingers. "An herb that's been extinct for two hundred years. And this," he picked up the silver penny. "It's Celtic. And I don't mean some new age knock off. It looks like the real deal, like 600 years old real."

Dean picked up the small, charred twig and smelled it. "What is this?" He asked, his nose turning up in disgust.

"Um, that is the charred metacarpal bone of a newborn baby." Sam informed his brother, unable to hide the smirk on his face.

"Ugh!" Dean immediately dropped the bone and dry heaved. "Gross."

"Relax man; it's like, at least a hundred years old." Sam assured him, picking up the bone himself and inspecting it closely.

"Oh, right, like that makes it better?" Dean muttered as he wiped his hands on his jeans. "Witches man, they're so friggin' skeevy." He gave Andie an apologetic sideways glance.

"I'm not a witch!" She snapped defensively. "I'm telekinetic. Witch, telekinetic," She held up both of her hands invisibly weighing them. "Two different things. You don't see me burning infant bones, do you?"

"Thankfully." Dean said quietly; but he knew Andie had heard him and gave him a dirty look.

"Yeah, well it takes a pretty powerful witch to put a bag like this together."Sam informed them as he referred back to a webpage on his laptop. "More juice than we've ever dealt with, that's for sure."

"Find anything on the victim?" Andie inquired.

"No," Dean shook his head. "Luke Wallace? He was so vanilla that he made vanilla seem spicy." He sighed dejectedly and knotted his fingers together behind his neck. "I can't find any reason why somebody would want this guy dead."

"Maybe there is no reason." Andie suggested, flicking a stray auburn hair out of her eyes. She'd dyed it to a vivid reddish-brown a few days ago having grown tired of her dark chocolate locks. "Maybe he's just the victim of a disgruntled candy maker looking to get even."

Sam pursed his lips and shook his head in disagreement. "Doubt it; we didn't find any other razors in the candy and there have been no reports of similar incidents anywhere else."

"Just a suggestion." Andie shrugged; heaving herself up off the floor.

Sam's cell phone buzzed loudly on the coffee table; he cleared his throat before answering. "Agent Tyler...Yes...I see." He shot Dean a frantic look and gestured towards the door. "We'll be right there." He hung up.

"Who?" Andie asked nodding at the phone.

"Police officer from the first crime scene; gave him my number and said to call if something came up." Sam explained as he got to his feet and shrugged his jacket back on. "New victim."

"Another one?" Dean raised his eyebrows. "Where?"

"Some teen Halloween party. Girl drowned bobbing for apples." Sam gestured to Andie and his laptop. "Keep researching?"

"Will do." She grinned and waved the brother's off. She waited until she saw the Impala head out of the motel parking lot before she got started on what she really wanted to do.

When she went to the future; Andie discovered a lot of things about who she would become. The one that stuck out to her the most had to do with her power. For as long as she could remember; Andie had channelled her power through her hands. However, in the future, she had squinted and been able to use her telekinesis the same way. With the impending battles coming up as well as Andie's task of tracking down Hierarchy of Devils; she could use the extra fire power. She hadn't let the brothers' in on her little trick yet; mainly because she was yet to figure it out. She had been in her future body when she'd discovered it; but now back in her present time self she was starting from scratch.

At first, she had been naive and thought it would be as easy as pie to manipulate her power. She had tried squinting repeatedly at the TV to get it to shove from side to side; but had no luck. Doors wouldn't shut; windows wouldn't close; even the pillows wouldn't move. That was another reason she let the boys play FBI; she liked the alone time to practice. Today, she was starting even smaller. She had a pencil upon the kitchen table and was trying to recreate that scene in _The Craft_ where the girl focuses on the pencil in the middle of class and it spins around on its lead point. Andie was having enough time trying to get it to stand up on its tip; let alone focusing. She held her finger against the eraser end to keep the pencil upright; and then she focused. Having spent her whole life with her telekinesis; she had never really had to train herself before. It was hard. The first time she thought she had it; she realized her finger holding the pencil was doing the telekinetic directing; not her eyes. She stared at the lead filled nuisance for so long her eyes stung and started watering. But still nothing; not even a quiver.

Deciding she needed a break, Andie ordered a pizza and tried to psych herself up while she waited for it to arrive. For some odd reason, Cassidy popped into her mind at that point. Maybe because if her friend had been there she would really light a fire under her ass until she got it right. Cass was good like that; definitely not a quitter. The pizza arrived and Andie downed two slices before getting back to work. Her next idea was to start something moving with her hands and try mid-motion to keep it travelling with her eyes. Again, she used the pencil and set it up on the table. A quick flick of her index finger sent the pencil rolling to the other side of the table; Andie dropped her hand and focused her eyes on the pencil, willing it to keep rolling towards the edge. The momentum started to slow and the harder Andie focused; the less confident she became. The pencil came to a lazy halt about three quarters of its way across the surface.

"Son of a whore..." Andie muttered, kicking the leg of the nearest chair. Her ears pricked to the familiar roar of the Impala's engine and she glanced at the clock. Almost three hours had passed; she hadn't thought she'd been at it that long.

"And with your wife at home waiting for you, for shame!" Sam chortled out as he trudged after his brother into the hotel room.

"I'm not allowed to say that a chick is hot?" Dean argued as he shuffled off his suit jacket. "Come on; Andie doesn't care."

"Andie doesn't care about what?" Andie asked, putting on her best nonchalant expression as she joined them in the living room chewing on a slice of pepperoni pizza.

"Dean was hitting on the hot cheerleader witness, Tracy." Sam dobbed in him.

"Thank you, for _that_." Dean hissed at his brother. He turned to Andie with an apologetic grin spreading across his face. "I was not flirting-"

"He's right." Andie scoffed. "I don't care." She smiled and took another bite out of her slice as she offered the greasy pizza box to Dean.

"Really?" Dean's eyes rounded as he took the food.

"Dean, if I stopped to worry about every girl you hit on I'd never get anything done." She smiled again. Honestly; she didn't really care that much. It wasn't like he went home with any of them. "Besides, I do it all the time."

"What?" The smile immediately dropped off Dean's face.

"Hey, Andie, help me with this?" Sam held up the file he had on the latest victim and headed towards his laptop.

Andie nodded. "Yeah; right behind ya."

"Wait--you what?" Dean followed her closely, her statement ringing in his ears. "You flirt with other guys?"

"It doesn't mean anything; it's harmless." She assured him with a tap on the shoulder. "Just like I know it doesn't mean anything when you do it."

"Ok, but there's a difference," Dean told her. "You are a _lot_ hotter than I am."

"True story." Sam smacked his brother on the back as he went to sit down.

"Let it go." Andie grabbed Dean's chin in her hand and waggled it back and forth then flopped on the couch beside Sam and took a look at the victim's file. "Anything on this one?"

Sam shook his head. "Squeaky clean. No reason for a wicked bitch payback." He did some quick typing on his laptop and brought up a few internet pages. "Maybe this witch isn't working the grudge," He murmured as he started reading a specific webpage. "Maybe they're working a spell."

"Wow, insightful." Dean spoke up sarcastically as he wolfed down a slice of pizza. "Witches doin' spells; who'd a thunk it."

"Look at this," Sam turned his laptop towards Andie, both of them ignoring Dean. "Three blood sacrifices over three days," He read. "The last before midnight on the final day of the final harvest."

"Celtic Calendar," Andie realized. "The final day of the final harvest is October 31st."

"Halloween." Dean added, brushing his hands off on his pants and plonking himself beside Andie. "What exactly are the uh, blood sacrifices for?" he asked, still chewing as he viewed Sam's laptop.

"Uh, if I'm right," Sam snatched his laptop back so Dean wouldn't get grease all over it. "This witch is summoning a demon, and not just any demon, Samhain."

Dean shot him a blank look. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"Samhain is the damn origin of Halloween." Sam explained. "The Celts believe that October 31st was the one night of the year when the veil was the thinnest between the living and the dead, and it was Samhain's night. I mean, masks were put on to hide from him, sweets left on doorsteps to appease him, faces carved into pumpkins to worship him. He was exorcised centuries ago."

Andie smiled; she liked when Sam became all informative. It was one of the few times he outshone his brother. "So even though Samhain took a trip downstairs the tradition stuck." Andie realized; pressing up off a knee from each brother as she got to her feet.

"Exactly." Sam confirmed. "Only now instead of demons and blood orgy's Halloween is all about kids, candy and costumes."

"Okay," Dean, forever the sceptic, started. "So some witch wants to raise Samhain and take back the night?"

"We're talking heavyweight witchcraft." Sam said; his voice adopting a much more serious tone. "This ritual can only be performed every six hundred years."

"And the six hundred year marker rolls around…?" Dean ventured; even though he already knew the answer.

"Tomorrow night." Sam confirmed with an unsatisfied smile. "And that's not even the worst part. Once he's raised, Samhain can do some raising of his own."

"Raising what, exactly?" Andie asked; scooting her backside up onto the table.

"Dark, evil crap and lots of it," Sam stated bluntly. "I mean, they follow him around like the friggin' Pied Piper."

"So we're talking ghosts." Dean nodded.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Zombies?" Andie asked.

"Mm-hmm." Sam muttered.

"Leprechauns?" Dean smirked.

Sam gave his brother a withering look. "Dean-"

"Those little dudes are scary." Dean continued. "Small hands." Andie gave him a purposeful nod as she smothered a giggle.

"Look, it just starts with ghosts and ghouls," Sam informed him. "This sucker keeps on going, by night's end we are talking every awful thing we have ever seen."

"Everything we fight," Andie shook her head back and forth; trying not to imagine every demon she had sent to hell. "All in one place."

Dean cut Andie a worried look. "It's gonna be a slaughterhouse."

**xxx**


	25. Chapter 25: Scars & Souvenirs

**Chapter 25**

_Scars & Souvenirs_

Stakeouts were one of Andie's least favourite parts of her job; mainly because it was so boring she ran out of things to do in the first few minutes. However, Dean had offered to keep an eye on the Wallace house to monitor who went to and from the house. Sam was adamant there was a connection with the hex bags and the crime scenes. So while he continued to research Samhain, Andie followed Dean to do surveillance on the home to find a common thread. If they found a person who was present at both crime scenes, or at least had some bond with someone at each scene, which was likely, the witch who was trying to summon Samhain.

"How long has it been?" Andie asked letting out a large yawn that she didn't even both to stifle.

Dean checked his watch. "Two hours." He sighed and dove into the bag of candy that seemed to be a permanent extension to his body.

"We haven't even seen a mailman." Andie complained, leaning her head back against the car seat. She was getting more and more comfortable in the passenger's seat; although she didn't really feel like fighting Sam for the privilege.

The buzzing of Dean's cell phone broke the monotony for a few moments. While he answered and swapped information with his brother, Andie cast her eyes back over to the Wallace house. Still and silent, yet peaceful. No one would guess someone had just died in there. Quick as a bee sting, a familiar stab pained Andie through her left palm. Familiar; but a pain she hadn't felt in almost a year. It came from the scar slashed across her hand that was so old and so faint that most of the time she couldn't even see it on the brightest of days. Unlike most of Andie's battle wounds; this one had actually been intentionally grooved into her skin. By Cassidy; who happened to have an identical scar on her right hand.

The pair had inflicted them on each other around the time they had first met. It had been Cass's idea, and Andie had been too drunk to argue, that they needed a reminder of their first demon hunt together. In lieu of a tattoo; Cassidy had decided it was a much better idea to use a dagger to brand the pair of them. Andie had grown to love it; even though it only caught her eye every few months or so when it would develop a pinkish hue and seem to stand out on her skin. She always thought of Cassidy when it did that; but she assumed that was the point of the branding all along.

"What's up?" Dean asked, cutting into her thoughts, as he hung up his phone and dug into the bag of candy that sat between them.

Andie had been scrutinizing her scar and tracing her finger over it. "Hm?" She clenched her fist and rested it in her lap. "Oh, nothing..."

"Son of a bitch..." Dean breathed.

Andie shot him a confused look. "What the hell are-"

"No, Morgan, I mean it..." His eyes were rounded and focused on something across the street. "Son of a bitch."

Andie followed his wild eyes back to the Wallace house where a pretty, young blonde girl was walking up the front steps. "Who's that?" She asked as Mrs. Wallace answered the door with her infant son in her arms.

"Hot cheerleader." Dean answered slowly as Tracy took the baby and tickled him under the chin. "The one from the Halloween party." He grasped his keys and turned over the engine, catching Andie off guard he sped out of the street as fast as he could.

**xxx**

Andie and Dean arrived back at their room at the Moonlight Hotel in record time. On the drive, Andie called Sam and filled him in on the cheerleader so he could get to work getting her background information.

"So, our apple bobbing cheerleader is the Wallace's babysitter?" Sam asked, half happy, half worried, as the pair of them came in.

"She told me she never even heard of Luke Wallace." Dean shook his head; hating himself for falling for her little Damsel In Distress routine.

"Huh, interesting look for a centuries old witch."

"Yeah, well, if you were a six-hundred-year hag and you could pick any costume to come back in, wouldn't you go for a hot cheerleader?" Dean pointed out. "I would, hmm…" He sat down on his bed, letting his mind drift off into that thought for a moment or two.

"Snap out of it, honey." Andie warned him.

Dean raised his eyebrows at her and gave her an innocent little smile.

"Well, Tracy's not as wholesome as she looks." Sam interrupted. "Did some digging," He slid his laptop around to show them the screen. "Apparently she got into a violent altercation with one of her teachers and got suspended from school."

Dean sighed. "Ok, then off to school we go…" He heaved himself to his feet. "You comin', Morgan?"

"Ah, no, I'll hang here I think," Andie smiled. "Be careful." She called after them as they disappeared out the door.

As soon as the roar of the Impala's engine faded down the street, Andie dug out her cell phone and hit the speed dial for Cassidy. Pacing and chewing her lip, Andie tried not to worry herself. It was a flash of her scar, it didn't mean anything. Cass always called it a reminder. "_If you see it and think of me, get off your ass and call_," that's what she had said after she staunched the bleeding discovering that while drunk, Andie bled a lot more than normal.

Chewing her lip, Andie's heart fluttered a little out of sync when her call was sent to Cass's voicemail.

_"Hey, you've reached me. Good for you. I'm not here, currently scoping out the view from Jupiter. Wanna join me, bring sun block. If not; leave a note and I'll get back to you when I'm good and ready." _

Andie sighed and rolled her eyes. The woman couldn't remember to keep her car full of gas, but she remembered to change her voicemail message every couple of weeks. "Hey, it's me," Andie said into the phone. "Uh...just checking in...normally something you do...haven't heard from you in awhile so...gimme a buzz and let me know you're ok." Always awkward at the end of a message, Andie mumbled a goodbye and hung up. It wasn't unlike Cass not to have her phone; and she always called Andie back as soon as she got her messages. _Nothing to worry about_, she assured herself.

Now alone again, Andie decided to get back to training her power. Granted, she wasn't having any luck so far. But if at first you don't succeed...keep trying or I'll kill you, as was the phrase Cassidy spouted. Again, she got out her pencil and started trying to move it along the table. She tried to pump herself up; see it in her mind and then just follow through. But for over an hour she focused an again nothing happened.

_Maybe I just need a bigger target than a pencil,_ she thought as she ransacked the kitchen drawers and found a long, sharp kitchen knife. Andie set the knife on the table and stood across the room. She moved it back and forth a few times by channeling through her fingers and then stuffed her hands in the back of her jeans and focused her eyes on the knife. Not a shudder.

"Come on, you bitch..." Andie murmured, furrowing her brow tightly together and squeezing her eyes into a piercing gaze. "Move!"

Nothing.

"God..." Andie relaxed the throbbing muscles in her face and rubbed her temple. "This is impossible."

Suddenly, what felt like a hook seized Andie by her insides and yanked her backwards off her feet until she collided heavily with the wall. She gasped as her head smacked against the tiled edging and tried to rub the space where the bump would no doubt grow. Shock ran through Andie's body when she realized; she couldn't move her hands. They were clasped together behind her back. She could feel them; but not move them. It was like she had lost control over them.

A soft scraping noise caught Andie's ears. Darting her eyes around the room; she noticed the glinting metal of the kitchen knife on the table. It was moving. Andie knew it wasn't her; she didn't feel the familiar rush through her veins that she got when her telekinesis pulsed through her. Something else was moving the knife; and moving it quickly. Andie's eyes widened as she saw the knife stand up on its end and then point directly at her forehead. Then, like a bull charging at a matador, the blade soared through the air making a beeline for the space between Andie's eyes.

"AH!" Andie screamed and squinted her eyes shut as hard as she could, bracing for the impact. Only it didn't come. The knife didn't pierce her skin. In fact, she felt no pain at all. Cautiously peeling her eyes open, Andie realized she hadn't been hit. And the knife was lying motionless at her feet looking completely harmless. "I did it." She muttered. She had to have used her power through her eyes to stop the knife; her hands had been locked behind her back. "Now..._how_ did I do it...?" Her arms were no longer constricted; Andie quickly got to her feet, grab the devil knife and hid it in the ice box of the freezer.

"Andie?!" Dean's voice hollered after the loud cracking of the door bursting open.

"Who are you?!" Sam's scream followed.

"Sam, no!" Dean cried. "Where's Andie?!

"What the hell is--oh, crap!" Andie gasped and jumped as she almost walked straight into Castiel. "Don't do that! _What_ is the harm in knocking?"

"Andie, you ok?" Dean asked rushing to her side as his brother made an enthusiastic greeting to Castiel; the angel he had never met before. "We heard you scream..." His eyes darted over her, looking for an injury.

"Yeah, fine." She assured him. "Just had a minor disagreement with a demonic kitchen kni..." She trailed off when she realized Castiel was not their only visitor. Standing in the direct centre of the room was a man with skin as black as charcoal, a smooth, bald head and a sneer creeping at his lips. He wore a smart black suit and had his hands folded in front of him. "Who is that?"She nodded her head at him.

"This is Uriel." Castiel answered moving away from Sam. "He's...a specialist." He looked into Dean's eyes, focused and penetrating. "The raising of Samhain, have you stopped it?"

"Why?" Dean asked; his expression quizzical.

"Dean, have you located the witch?" Castiel asked urgently.

"Yes, we've located the witch." Dean nodded

"You located the witch?" Andie raised her eyebrows, impressed they had tracked her down.

"We located the witch." Dean answered with a smug grin.

"And is the witch dead?" Castiel

"No, but…we know who it is." Dean argued.

Castiel walked over to the table beside the bed and reached behind it. "Apparently the witch knows who you are too." He retracted his hand and in his fist was a hex bag; identical to the other ones they had discovered.

"Oh…that explains the demon knife." Andie murmured to herself. "Never mind." She added when Dean cut her a confused look.

"If we hadn't found it, surely one or all of you would be dead." Castiel pointed out matter-of-factly, tossing the hex bag onto the coffee table. "Do you know where the witch is now?"

Dean exchanged a nervous look with this brother. "We're working on it."

"That's unfortunate." Castiel replied. "The raising of Samhain is one of the 66 seals." His voice somehow remained the same volume; yet the importance of his statement seemed to ring in the air.

"So this is about your buddy Lucifer." Dean understood now. The urgency; the bigger picture was always the answer to Castiel's visits.

"Lucifer is no friend of ours." Uriel spoke up; highly insulted at the insinuation.

"It's just an expression." Dean assured him meekly.

"Lucifer _cannot_ rise," Castiel said for the thousandth time. "The breaking of the seal must be prevented at all costs."

"Okay, great," Andie spoke up standing between the angels and the brothers. "So now that you're here, why don't you tell us where the witch is, we'll gank her and everybody goes home."

"We are not omniscient." Castiel explained; his face appearing as aged as it ever could. "This witch is very powerful; she's cloaked even our methods." He turned his wizened eyes towards Andie. "And she got past you."

"Okay, well we already know who she is," Sam said, determined to be helpful since the angels weren't thrilled with him using his powers. "So if we work together-"

"Enough of this." Uriel cut in, his voice dripping with disdain, as if even talking with them was a waste of his time.

"Okay, exactly what kind of specialist are you?"Dean snapped. "What the hell are _you_ going to do?"

"All of you need to leave this town immediately." Castiel responded.

Andie folded her arms tightly. "Why?"

"Because we're about to destroy it." Castiel

Dean and Andie held a worried glance. "So this is your plan, you're gonna smite the whole friggin' town?"

Castiel shook his head. "We're out of time." He said solemnly. "This witch has to die and the seal must be saved."

"There are a thousand people here." Sam said defensively.

"One thousand two hundred fourteen." Uriel recited.

"And you're willing to kill them all?" Sam's mouth hung open; astonished at the ferocity from this supposedly angelic being.

"This isn't the first time I've…purified a city." Uriel didn't even try to hide the pride in this statement.

"Look, I understand this is regrettable…" Castiel said to Dean; his empathy coming through.

Dean almost laughed. "Regrettable?" He scoffed.

"We have to hold the line; too many seals have broken already." Castiel told them; his worry clear in his stone.

"So you screw the pooch on some seals and this town has to pay the price?" Dean shook his head back and forth; too angry to make sense of the situation.

"It's the lives of one thousand against the lives of six billion." Castiel told him; though clear pain and regret resonated in his normally even voice. "There's a bigger picture here." He took a commanding step towards Dean. "Lucifer cannot rise, he does and hell rises with him." He took another step towards Dean; eye to eye they were. "Is that something that you're willing to risk?"

"We'll stop this witch before she summons anyone." Sam piped up; still optimistic and hoping to prove he was up for the challenge. "Your seal won't be broken and no one has to die."

"We're wasting time with these mud monkeys." Uriel gestured his hand to the brothers and Andie.

Castiel turned his head to Uriel at this insult; as though it was also an insult to himself. "I'm sorry, but we have our orders." He told Dean.

"No!" Sam snapped. "You can't do this, you're angels! I mean aren't you supposed to-" He was distracted as Uriel proceeded to chuckle quietly. "You're supposed to show mercy."

"You think _you_ can stop us?" Uriel laughed.

Dean's jaw clenched and he stood up in Uriel's face. "No, but if you're gonna smite this whole town, then you're gonna have to smite us with it, because we are not leaving." He said strongly, enjoying telling off this angel with an attitude. "See, you went to the trouble of busting me out of hell, I figure I'm worth something to the man upstairs. So you wanna waste me?" He held his arms out at his sides. "Go ahead, see how he digs that."

Uriel leant forward so he was nose to nose with Dean. "I will drag you out of here myself." He said in a commanding voice.

"You'll have to kill me." Dean smirked.

"And then you'd be back to the same problem." Andie chimed in. "You're gonna wipe out a whole town for one little witch?"

"Sounds to me like you're compensating for something." Dean gave the angel the once over and smirked. He then turned his attention to Castiel; who he knew would listen to him. "We can do this; we will find that witch and we will stop the summoning."

"Castiel!" Uriel bellowed. "I will not let these peop-"

Castiel threw up a hand and silenced his partner. "Enough!" He yelled. His eyebrow furrowed as he stared at Dean; mentally deliberating the pros and cons of the situation. The strength in the hunters before him could not be undervalued. They were strong. "I suggest you move quickly." He said firmly.

With barely a flutter, both Castiel and Uriel disappeared into thin air.

"Well…that was cheerful…" Andie muttered sarcastically.

"Demon knife?" Dean asked.

"Forget it," She waved a dismissive hand at him. "Just don't open the freezer."

**xxx**


	26. Chapter 26: The Masks We Wear

**Chapter 26**

_The Masks We Wear_

_Halloween night is crazy_, Andie deduced as she chewed on a piece of gum and eyed the costumes on the children milling around the Impala. She was keeping watch outside the home of Tracy, the cheerleading baby sitter, while Sam and Dean inspected inside. Andie's job was to divert children from knocking on the door while Trick or Treating. Her method was to wait until the kids reached the front gate and honked the horn a few times while yelling intelligibly out the window. It was enough to scare them off and eventually the kids just wandered by, walking much more briskly past the Impala and averting the gaze of "that crazy driver".

Andie yawned as the sea of miniature witches and ghouls wandered past and found herself digging into Dean's dwindling bag of candy. It didn't matter how much she ate; the little niggling feeling in the back of her mind and the tickling feeling across her palm. Cassidy's face hovered in her mind for a moment. Andie never really worried about her friend. Despite her diminutive frame, Cassidy was tough and prepared for anything. Reasoning that it was perhaps because she hadn't seen her in so long that she was thinking of her, Andie tried to shake off the uneasiness in her stomach and leant back in the driver's seat that was fragrant with Dean's intoxicating scent she loved so much.

Three sharp pops echoed through the street jolting Andie's heart up into her throat. Gunshots. From inside the Wallace house.

"Crap!" Andie cursed as she climbed out of the Impala. Nervous laughter rippled through the streets; the trick or treaters and their parents explaining the shots as neighbours' over excitement over the holiday. Andie flew through the front gate and ran in long strides towards the house and through the front door. She could hear the sounds of an obvious scuffle down in the basement so veered to the left through an open door with a descending staircase.

"Dean?" She called when she only had a few steps to go.

"Andie; don't!!" Dean's strangled voice called back from the left side of the room.

He was writhing in agony parallel to Sam who was in a similar state; his face contorted in pain as he clutched his middle with two tight fists. Andie cast her eyes forward and saw the diminutive cheerleader Tracy beaming with happiness as she watched the brother's writhe. At her feet was the crumpled body of Don Harding, a man Andie recognized from the same file about Tracy. He was a teacher at her school. Her young brow creasing into a confused but determined expression, Andie set her eyes on Tracy. "You?" She uttered.

"A third Musketeer?" The more confident Tracy said as she saw Andie arrive "Well, now I have the whole set." She smirked and held her palm up to her latest intruder.

Andie held up her own extended hand and knocked Tracy back off her feet. The cheerleader sprang to her feet, cracked her neck twice, once on either side, and pouted. "Nice try," She thrust both hands towards Andie and sent her sailing backwards into the cold, stone wall. "Bitch."

"Oohhh…" Andie groaned in pain as an iron first seemed to grab her innards and squeeze them tight as a vice. Her vision, blurred from the impact of her fall, barely focused on Tracy as she knelt before Don with a glimmering knife. Another pain stabbed Andie through her gut causing her eyes to pinch shut and her legs to curl up into her body. When she managed to stretch her body back out again; she could see Tracy doing something at an alter and she was muttering something about how Halloween was "back in the day".

When her eyes allowed her, Andie could spot Sam and Dean still twisting against the power of whatever spell Tracy has cast on them. Sam, however, was strong enough to edge himself closer and closer to Don's body. Andie couldn't make out exactly what he was doing; but he seemed to be rubbing his hands against Don's back.

A sudden boiling feeling began in Andie's gut as she heard Tracy start chanting an incantation. She could see Sam shuffle back towards his brother and smear something on his face. Dean then rolled towards Andie and rubbed the dark, crimson liquid across her cheeks and forehead. She couldn't manage to speak but he assured her by clasping his hand on her shoulder that she should just follow Sam's lead.

There was a rumble across the ground, as though an airplane was flying too low overhead. Tracy triumphantly bellowed the last few words of her spell as large, deep cracks slashed their way through the concrete floor emitting a charcoal black smoke that seeped across the ground and tunneled its way into Don's body. His lifeless frame suddenly became rigid and made sudden, jerking movements as the devilish haze invaded him. When it had enveloped him completely; he took to his feet, though he was no longer the man he had once been.

Andie and Dean shared a frantic look; both knew without saying a word that Samhain had been raised and another seal had been broken. Tracy gaped in awe at Samhain before the pair kissed and she gushed sweet words to her ancient love. Samhain ran his hands up across her shoulder and settled them under her cheekbones. Then, in one motion, he snapped her neck sideways and let her fall heavily to the floor.

"Whore." He spat at his feet.

Andie lay still and motionless as Samhain, unsteady in his new body, stumbled away from the alter. He paused beside Sam's body but didn't seem to notice it. With a long, hearty breath he staggered forwards and ambled up the staircase. It was only when his footsteps were faint and echoed that the trio dared move.

"What the hell?" Andie voiced first, keeping her voice low as she wiped at the damp blood on her face.

"Halloween lore," Sam explained as he tentatively got to his feet. "People used to wear masks to hide from him, so," He shrugged. "I gave it a shot."

Dean shot his brother an open-mouthed glare. "You gave it a _shot_?!" He repeated in disbelief.

"So if you're freshly in a new body with thousands of years of torture to make up for," Andie mused as she rubbed the blood off her face with the hem of her shirt. "Where would you go to raise other forces of the night?"

Dean thought for a moment before responding. "The cemetery."

**xxx**

As Dean steered the Impala towards the mausoleum at the town cemetery; Andie thought the pulsing she could feel was her bloody pumping through her veins; but it wasn't. It was music coming from within the crypt. Dean parked the car and the trio immediately headed for the trunk to load up on weapons. Andie was sliding a silver pistol into the waistband of her jeans when a crowd of screams hollering from inside the mausoleum.

"Go," Dean slammed the trunk shut and tightened his grip on his favourite sawn-off shotgun. "Go!" He steered Andie and his younger brother towards the crypt.

The screams became louder as they took the steps two at a time and discovered about two dozen high school students clawing through a gate of wrought iron fencing whilst crying and wailing to be freed.

"Help them!" Sam ordered as he took off down one of the dark alleyways deeper into the crypt.

"No, Sam, you're not going off alone!" Dean bellowed at his brother's back.

"Do it!" Sam shouted back over his shoulder, not breaking a stride.

Dean let out an angry growl but stayed put. "Move!" He yelled at the frightened teens as he removed his pistol from his waistband and aimed it at the lock. The highschoolers moved backwards and took cover as Dean aimed the eye of his gun at the secured lock on the door.

_Bang!_

"Move!" Andie ordered the teens as she and Dean each yanked one of the gates open. The kids spilled out and flooded up the staircase amidst screams and cries. It was only when the last one ran up the stairs that Andie noticed the reason they bolted so fast. "Oh, Dean...?" She pointed to one of the crypt plaques against the wall that. It was shuddering and shifting off out of position and smashed to pieces on the concrete floor. Two pale, white arms extended out of the grave and pulled out its decaying, rotten corpse.

Dean tightened his grip on his weapon, a silver dagger, and kept his eyes on the zombie as it erected to its feet and stared its cold, dead eyes straight at Dean. "Bring it on, stinky." He quipped and lunged at the demon with the knife.

Every other plaque on the wall reciting some poor souls' name started to quiver just as the first one had. They began to rain down on the floor faster than Andie could look at them. Zombies emerged, pungent from their eons buried below and as decrepit as a corpse should be. Andie removed her pistol from her waistband and aimed it at a particularly grotesque man who had his arms reaching out towards her. Without flinching, she fired a bullet into the chest of the zombie and he evaporated into nothingness. She was aiming her weapon at a female zombie when her legs were knocked out from under her and her back heavily smacked to the floor. Her eyes could see a zombie leering down at her holding a weapon of sorts; it appeared to be a plank of wood. He didn't get to strike her with it, however, as Dean staked the zombie in the back with the silver dagger and he exploded to dust.

"You good?" Dean asked Andie as he snatched up her wrist and yanked her to her feet.

"Yeh," She answered breathlessly as a zombie appeared directly behind Dean. "Duck!" She screeched, thrusting her hand forwards.

Dean crouched down just in time to feel the air brush over his head as Andie used her power to toss the zombie into some rubble; it evaporated after impaling itself on a wayward piece of piping. "Nice." Dean said to Andie as he got to his feet. "Move!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her down with one hand and used the other to slice the dagger across the throat of the zombie who had appeared behind her.

"Thanks," Andie pulled herself up Dean's arms. "Are they regenerating or what?"

"I dunno," Dean stood back to back with Andie and they started circling the crypt. "But only sure-fire way outta this is, well...fire."

The sound of footsteps caused Andie and Dean both to snap their heads to the left of the crypt where a female zombie, no older than twenty, was edging towards them. She pushed her palms out towards them and telekinetically sent Dean and Andie into the back wall of cement so heavily that dust particles shook off the walls when they landed.

"That's it," Dean grumbled mercilessly as he reached for his shoulder bag and got to his feet. He removed a Molotov cocktail and a lighter from his knapsack. "I'm torchin' all of you." He lit the cloth and tossed the bottle directly at zombie's feet. It immediately caught her shabby, rotten dress alight and she was engulfed by flames.

Together, the pair of them disposed of all the zombies in the crypt. Andie incapacitated them with her power and Dean set them on fire. It was quite the exciting experience for Andie; she hadn't had fun hunting demons in awhile. When the last demon was no more than a smoking pile of rags, Dean packed what remained of his weapons into his bag and told Andie in a harried voice that they needed to get to Sam.

Andie, who was brushing the dust off her jeans and hoping it was just from the debris and not left over zombie ash, agreed and the pair of them ran out of the now dilapidated crypt and deeper inside the tomb after Sam. Andie just kept in step behind Dean but almost collided with his shoulder directly when he stopped without warning her. "What are y..." she started to say, but then she tilted her head to the right, following Dean's cold stare and saw what had made him stop so suddenly.

Sam was using his power, his heavily demonic psychic power, to kill Samhain. It was working; the demon was collapsing to his knees as Sam held his palm out towards him to expunge the demon from its host body. It was obviously excruciating for Sam to do; his face was contorted into a twisted, pained expression and his other hand was holding the side of his head as if fending off a migraine. Samhain dropped further to the ground as the demonic smoke began to release from the body. Sam didn't relent on his power; he was exorcising so hard his nose began to bleed, trailing a line of crimson down his lips and chin. Don's eye colour returned as Samhain completely disappeared from his body; but the man was long dead. Sam dropped his hands and started gasping for breath. His eyes slowly cast up and he saw his brother and Andie for the first time.

Having grabbed Dean to keep herself from falling, Andie could now feel Dean's muscles tense up as he shared a sad yet also terrified look with his brother. It was as though in that moment, they all knew what was going on; how far off the rails Sam was going and how much he had changed since Dean's death and subsequent return. When Andie looked at Dean, she saw something else in his eyes. Something worrisome; it was as though he didn't know who his own brother was anymore.

**xxx**

Andie was awoken from a peaceful sleep by someone shuffling around at the end of her bed. She opened her eyes barely a crack and saw Sam's heaving body dozing in the bed beside her. He seemed so calm and content; a stark contrast to the intensity he had exuded the night before whilst killing Samhain. Andie identified the Shuffler at the end of her bed as Dean, who was getting dressed silently, so she yawned a good morning to him but he didn't reply. He instead just flopped onto the bed, started yanking his boots on and tying them up. Each tug on his laces was rough and taught; signalling he was still very unsettled with what he'd seen the night before.

"No chance it was all a dream, huh?" He whispered over his shoulder to her, forcing a light laugh.

"Demon-y Sam?" Andie sighed as she crawled out of her blankets towards the end of her bed."No...unfortunately."

"I don't know what to do about it." Dean muttered his shoulders heavy and slumped with the weight of the situation.

Andie chewed her lower lip for a moment, then climbed up behind him and hugged him around the neck. "Me neither." She admitted, resting her chin against his shoulder blade.

Dean leant his head against Andie's cheek. They sat there for a few moments, just embracing, before Andie broke the silence. "Are we leaving today?"

"Yeah; this afternoon." Dean stood up letting Andie's arms caress him loosely as he rose. "Just gotta do something before we go; won't take long."

"No problem." Andie said as she reached for her cell phone on the nightstand; slightly disappointed that she didn't have a text message or voicemail from Cassidy.

"Everything ok?" Dean asked, shrugging on his jacket, noticing the troubled look on Andie's face.

"Yeah." Andie smiled, not wanting to add more to his already stressed mind.

"I'll be back soon." Dean pursed his lips together in an air kiss as he headed out of the room.

"Bye..." Andie smiled, letting her calm expression drop slowly as he left. She resumed chewing on her lip as she climbed out of bed and headed for the escape of the bathroom.

When she reappeared a half hour later towelling off her hair and dressed in old black jeans, so faded they were now slate gray, and one of Dean's checked button up shirts, since she hadn't bothered to clean any of her own in awhile, Sam was already packing up their stuff but was so focused he didn't seem to notice Andie until she sharply clapped her hands a couple of times. He gave her a weak smile but didn't say much; he was still so obviously troubled by the fallout of using his power the night before.

Not wanting to make him feel worse or take sides, Andie tried to change the subject. "Hey, kinda weird question, but have you heard from Cass at all lately?"

Sam paused, as if it was hard for him to remember any other thoughts. "Ah, no...last time was back at Rutledge Lake, I think." He shoved another t-shirt in his bag. "Why?"

"No reason." Andie forced an easiness into her voice that she knew didn't want to be there. "Just curious."

"I'm gonna go check us out." Sam muttered; shouldering his duffle bag. "I'll wait out front for you." He didn't even bother catching her eye as he exited the room.

Sighing, Andie set about packing her own things. Most of it was still in her bag so it only took her a few minutes to double check that she had everything. Dean's bag was packed and waiting at the foot of the bed so Andie chucked a few of her things inside that wouldn't fit in her own bag. She was doing one last check under the beds for runaway shoes or ID's when she was joined by someone else.

"You should have listened."

Andie swore under her breath as she ducked up from underneath her bed and saw Uriel perched beside her. His face was blank but his eyes had a glint of nastiness to them, and the look he was casting to Andie made her uncomfortable.

Uriel look towards Sam's bed, back to Andie, then shook his head back and forth in disbelief. "What that boy did-"

"If Sam hadn't have killed that demon; we would _all_ be dead right now." Andie cut in, annoyed at the hesitance in her voice.

Uriel sent her a scrutinizing glare before he spoke. "Yes...you would stand up for him, wouldn't you?" His grating voice said. "We're well aware of your..._gifts_..." He spat out the word like it was laced in poison.

"My power isn't demonic." Andie pointed out defensively.

"You misunderstand me." Uriel took slow steps towards her, but never severed their eye contact. "The only reason we are keeping you around is because, so far," He tilted his head at her. "You have proved _useful_."

Andie folded her arms across her chest, comforted by the soft fabric of Dean's shirt, and furrowed her brow. "Useful?" She repeated.

Uriel let a smirk play on his lips as he enjoyed her uneasiness. "The path the Winchesters are to lead does not welcome tag-alongs." He told her curtly. "And the moment you become more trouble than you're worth; you'll be removed."

"Removed...?" Andie repeated allowing her eyes to sparkle in jest. "Is that so?"

"You and your little friend, Cassidy."

His statement hung in the air like the echo of a gunshot. Andie's smile vanished and the crease in her brow returned; she refused to believe it was coincidence that he had mentioned Cass when Andie was starting to worry about her wellbeing.

"And tell that husband of yours to get off his high horse," Uriel said as he stepped backwards. "Ask Dean what he remembers from Hell."

Andie didn't dare let him see her flinch as he fluttered away into nothingness; she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd gotten under her skin by using Cassidy and Dean; the only two things in Andie's life that mattered to her anymore.

**xxx**


	27. Chapter 27: Don't You Worry

**Chapter 27**

_Don't You Worry_

_---_

_Two Months Ago _

_Cassidy_

Alone and shuddering due to the damp air around her, Cassidy tried once again to yell for help. Her throat ached with the amount of force she used to scream; but no sound came out. She couldn't see much around her; she could see her normally pink, flush skin was pale and dirty, but she couldn't see ahead of her. There was just darkness and dampness.

No one was coming for her. No one even knew where she was. She had no form of contact, not form of communication, no way of letting Andie know she desperately needed her help. In the light that seemed to emanate from nowhere, Cassidy could see the faded scar on her palm was pinker than normal. She wondered if Andie's was, too. Maybe that would spur her friend into finding her; saving her. Cassidy felt another wave of fear rush over her; all she had now were maybes.

There had to be a wait out of here; she needed to find a way to escape. Andie needed to know that Cassidy hadn't been able to defeat the next demon in the Hierarchy of Devils; he was still out there. The apocalypse was well on its way now. Since she had been in this place, Cassidy had been thinking about the end of the world constantly. Lilith. The sixty-six seals. Lucifer. It was as though someone was force feeding the information into her brain; no matter how hard she tried to escape from it; it was always at the front of her mind.

Tears streaked her weathered face and she hung her head in her hands. Her knotted, oily hair was sticking to the back of her neck and made her shiver. Her wrists wrung together underneath her knees and she was resting her head down atop her kneecaps. She had no memory of how she got to this place or how long she had even been here. She didn't remember anything, except a blinding white light.

A few hours later, Cassidy was waking up in bed. She hadn't realized she was asleep until she opened her eyes. The blinding white light was back. At least, that was what she thought before she noticed the window against the wall and the iron frame of the foot of her bed. She tried to sit up but was immediately forced onto her back by restraints latched to her wrists. Closer inspection showed her that her ankles were also shackled in place. "What the Hell?" She murmured to herself.

"Good morning, Carla-Anne." A heavyset nurse greeted her as she came into the room. "We were wondering when you were going to wake up."

Cassidy furrowed her brow at the nurse, at first not recognizing the name. Then she remembered the identity she'd been running with for the past few weeks. Carla-Anne March; a twenty-six year old journalism student from Georgia hell-bent on finding world peace. "Look," Cass said. "I feel a lot better so," She shook her wrists in their bindings. "Can we loosen these, please?"

"Maybe later after you speak to Dr. Arnold." The Nurse replied as busied herself with a tray on the other side of the room.

"Look, lady, I need to make a phone call." Cassidy pleaded. "My friend Andie needs to know where I am-"

"There'll be no phone calls, Carla." The nurse turned around.

Cassidy's heart leapt into her throat when she saw the nurse was holding a large needle in her hands filled with a clear liquid. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's that?" Cass pressed herself as deep into her mattress as she could but the more she struggled, the tighter the shackles held her.

"Just relax, love," The nurse spoke in a soothing voice, but her eyes were stern and cold. "We don't want any trouble like last time."

"No! No!" Cassidy cried. "Help! Someone help!" Two burly men came pushing into the room wearing white scrubs. "Please; help me!" Cass begged the men, but they didn't. Instead, they held her down while the nurse lifted up the side of Cass's gown and jabbed her in the thigh with the needle. "OW! Get off!" Cass wailed. "Leave me alone!" She wasn't even sure if she was even yelling anymore as once again, Cass found herself drifting down to that cold, dark cellar where she was screaming for help knowing no one could hear her.

**xxx**

_Present Day_

_Andie_

Andie ran her finger over the scar on her palm while her mediocre breakfast of eggs and bacon cooled on the cafe table in front of her. It had been two weeks since she'd sent that first voicemail wondering where her friend was, but Andie hadn't actually spoken to Cassidy for a couple of months. That wasn't out of the ordinary for them; but Cassidy _always_ responded to a message, Andie never had to call twice. She'd left three more messages and called at least once a day, but still no reply. The scar on her palm was redder than ever and Andie was beginning to believe that was a sign.

"If you're not gonna eat that I'm moving in." Dean warned her from across the table where he was eying her food with his fork ready to stab.

"Go ahead." Andie pushed her plate across to him and watched him devour her bacon.

"Not eating?" Sam asked from beside Andie where he was polishing off his sausages.

Andie shook her head. "Not hungry." She made herself sit on her hand; she couldn't stand looking at her scar anymore.

Dean noticed her uneasiness; she was obviously worried about Cass but was doing a very good job at trying to hide it. The week before she had admitted to the brothers that she was worried about her friend and they were trying to reassure her that Cass was most likely alright. However, Andie didn't want to hear it. "Can't you just click on your mental low-jack and, I dunno, get a lock on her?" Dean asked as he forked the last of Andie's scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"It doesn't work like that." Andie chewed her lip and checked her cell messages again. Still nothing.

"So," Dean said slowly as he swallowed another bite. "How does it work?"

"Ok," Andie sighed, it was hard enough for her to explain her power to herself, let alone Dean who was a self-proclaimed hater of "this kind of thing". "Picture a map in your mind. Think of Cassidy's position as a bright light; the further away from her I am the brighter the light, the closer I get, the dimmer the light so I can track her down easier."

"So that's why you can't see her now," Sam spoke up. "She's too bright?"

"Basically." Andie leant back in her booth seat. "We're in the South and I'm guessin' she's up North because right now, when I think of her, it's like the whole top half of the states is as bright as Christmas." She nervously rapped her fingers against the back of her cell phone. "Damn, if she'd only just call me maybe I could at least narrow down what state she's in."

Dean smirked before he spoke, happy with the little quip he was about to share. "So theoretically we could just travel the states playing Hot/Cold with your mind?" He raised his eyebrows at Andie; she didn't look impressed.

"Let's call that Plan B." She replied politely.

Sam wiped his hands on his napkin. "Why don't you call her family?" He asked, remembering Cassidy mentioning her parents when they had last spoken. Although, they didn't do a lot of talking when they were together; Cass seemed a lot fonder of Sam _physically_ than verbally.

"I am _not_ calling her family." Andie replied adamantly.

"Why not?"

"Her mother hates me, her dad's a drunk and last I heard her brother was being held as a political prisoner." Andie told him. "But I'm pretty sure that last one's a lie."

"How could her mother hate you?" Dean asked, trying to sound surprised. "You're delightful."

"I know, right?" Andie agreed. "That stupid bitch." She added under her breath.

"Does her family know that Cass is hunter?" Sam inquired as he finished his coffee.

"Yeh, and that would be _why_ her mother hates me." Andie rolled her eyes. "She thinks it's my fault that Cass became a hunter; that I _influenced _her or something."

"Y'know, you never have told us how you two met," Sam pointed out. "When was that, exactly?"

Andie nodded slowly and stared out the window to the drizzly street beside the cafe. "About seven years ago." She murmured.

**xxx**

**_7 Years Ago _**

_Daytona Beach_

The air was thick with sex, drugs and rock and roll; exactly what Andie pictured for an American Spring Break. Sliding herself off her newly repaired motorcycle, Jeremy, Andie took in the sight of the evening sky over the calm but damaging waves that crashed to the shore. The beach was littered with discarded beer cans and clothing as a mess of bodies danced and groped each other to the thumping beat from a band performing on one of the beach house decks.

"Welcome to Spring Break, baby!" A drunken young man holding an unopened beer can greeted Andie, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

Andie shoved him with one hand and snatched his beer can before he hit the sand. He was picked up by a couple of inebriated girls who carried him away laughing. The satisfying crack and fizz of opening the can of beer made Andie smile as she gulped down a couple of swallows; she realized it was light beer. _Lightweight_,Andie cussed the teenage lout she'd stolen the drink from. She drank down some more and wandered out onto the cool, dry sand of the beach.

Not one to really take vacations, Andie had given herself a couple of weeks off since she'd arrived from Australia. Sure; the whole reason she had travelled halfway across the world was because that's where the demons were converging, but that didn't mean it was all work and no play. It just so happened that she'd arrived during Spring Break; so Andie was determined to have a good time. She spotted her way to that good time sauntering out of the water. The moonlight hit his chest and made him shine He was gorgeous; tall and muscled with shoulder length sandy blonde hair that was pulled back in a loose ponytail. He had a natural smile on his face that gleamed when he laughed.

Right away, Andie knew she wanted him; it was only a matter of time until she got him. She waited until he went to the keg to refill his drink and then made her move. "Hey," She said, nudging his shoulder as she stood beside him.

He cast her a smile and looked her up and down. "Hi there," he replied as he lifted his drink to his perfect lips. "Having fun?"

"I'm about to." Andie smiled and hooked her arm around his neck; forcing a kiss onto his lips. It didn't take long for him to respond; his tongue drunkenly slid into her mouth. He wasn't the best kisser; but he would do for now. Andie pushed her body against him but was then stopped in her actions by a hefty crack across the head.

"OW!" She cried; pulling away from the guy and turning around to face her attacker.

"Kent! What are you doing?!" A shrill woman's voice pierced through the air.

"Cass!" Kent laughed and detached himself from Andie. "This hot chick just starting macking on me..."

"Oh, again?" The girl rolled her eyes. "God, you're _such_ a douchebag!" She tossed her beer in his face and then chucked the paper cup at him for good measure

"Did you just hit me?" Andie yelled at the girl, Cassidy.

"Want another one, bitch?!" Cass raised the umbrella over her head.

"Oh, I'm gonna _kill_ you!" Andie hollered; ducking down and throwing herself at Cassidy's small frame in a hefty mid-body tackle. The pair of them slammed to the sand amidst the excited whoops and hollers from the drunken crowd and began to try and out-wrestle each other.

**xxx**

_Present Day_

_Andie_

"You actually had a full on cat fight?" Dean's jaw hung a few inches from his mouth as he listened to Andie's story.

Andie nodded. "Including hair pulling and bitch slapping; the whole shebang." Dean looked thrilled. "What is that expression?" She shook her head at him. "What is so appealing to guys about a cat fight?"

Sam cleared his throat. "Well, I guess…" he chose his words carefully. "Guys think that if two women are clawing at each other there's a chance they might...kiss."

Andie scoffed and looked to Dean for confirmation. "It's true." He admitted.

"But that's insane." Andie countered.

Dean frowned and shrugged. "Again true."

Andie mustered a proper laugh, her first for a long while, before she managed to finish off her coffee. She didn't contribute to the conversation Sam and Dean proceeded to have about what direction they should head in next. She dragged behind them as they paid their check and headed back out to the Impala. Having checked out of their motel that morning, they all piled into Dean's beloved vehicle and set off out of town.

It might have been nostalgia getting the better of her, but Andie found herself digging in her shoulder bag for her mother's old journal. The battered old notebook was thick with information from her mother and grandmother's years of hunter's wisdom. Andie pretty much knew the book back to front, it had been her only companion in the foster home and when she'd lived on the streets back in Australia, so she thumbed back towards the beginning to one of the entries she seemed to read over and over. One from her Grandmother that had been written about a year after Andie's birth.

_My granddaughter is powerful; no doubt about it. _

_Within a year she's showing more strength than her mother at that age, Lily couldn't be prouder. Yesterday, Andie used her power to create a floating mobile of toys above her head. She couldn't stop laughing._

_Of course, the worry is still there. Now that Andie is coming into her gifts, the protection magic that bound Lily while she was pregnant has most definitely passed on to her child. So my daughter is now vulnerable when she hunts. It's very disturbing; this mother can tell you that much._

_Destroyed another vampire colony last week. I'm not as quick as I used to be; luckily Lily was with me. Andie stayed home with her father, but Dylan told us she cried until we arrived back home. She senses when her family's in danger; it's like an innate gift. One that I'm sure will become quite the ally. _

_My dear Granddaughter, should you ever be reading his later in your life, remember three things. One: when dealing with vampires, always have a backup hunter in your stead. Two: Trust your instincts. Three: You are the greatest love of my life; don't tell your mother. _

_Ellie_

**xxx**

_Present Day_

_Cassidy_

Cassidy stared out her window at a couple of bluebirds building a nest. They seemed so comfortable and happy; a stark contrast to herself. She looked down at her sketch pad where she had drawn a handful of jack-o lanterns. Even though the staff gave her a whole box of colourful crayons to draw with, she continued to use the dark earth tones in her pictures even though they often appeared black and smudged. She had drawn the pumpkins in gray were a decoration to the name _Samhain_ that Cass had scrawled in the notepad the day before. Another seal had been broken; she knew it. It was the strangest thing; she woke up in the middle of the night screaming after having a horrific dream of Sam using his weird psychic power to exorcise Samhain whilst Andie and Dean watched on in terror. The heavyset Nurse Hackett, the younger Nurse Miller and two security guards had then burst into her room and sedated her. When she'd awoken from the drugged daze the first thing she grabbed was her notepad and scrawled it down.

In the back of the notepad was a page dedicated to the tallying the days she had been in this place. Cass had to count them again every day because she had been so confused as to how long she'd been trapped. Two months; it was nearing two months since she'd first started the tally and she knew she'd been here at least a week before then. It was a psychiatric hospital; that much she knew from the logo on her patient wristband. _Connor Beverly Behavioural Medicine Centre_. Nurse Hackett never seemed to leave the hospital; she was on duty almost every day that Cassidy could recall. Nurse Miller was younger, newer to the way they did things around here. Cass remembered the look on the young girls face when she saw Nurse Hackett stab Cass with a needle full of sedative; the girl had almost broken down in tears. But she'd managed her first few days and now wore that sullen, sad expression most of the staff did.

It had been so long since she'd spoken to someone in the real world; someone who would understand her, Cass was starting to wonder if the voices in her head were true; the ones warning her that the apocalypse was coming. She sure wasn't trying to keep quiet about what she heard; apparently this is what the nurses and psychiatrists wanted to hear because back when she tried to assure them she was sane; they just kept pestering her.

_"But what about the apocalypse, Carla? What about Lucifer, you said he was bringing the end of the world?"_

She had also tried to tell them her name was Cassidy; but this only gave them fodder for their schizophrenic diagnosis, so she remained Carla-Anne. Thankfully they had removed her shackles, but they wouldn't let her make phone calls and always had a syringe of tranquilizer nearby.

"Good afternoon, Carla." Dr. Reiko Arnold, Cass's middle-aged therapist with fiery orange hair, said as she came into the room. It was the second time she'd been in to see her this week; but due to her patient's latest outburst, Reiko believed it in her best interests to visit her again. "Drawing again, I see."

Cassidy was starting a new drawing, a charcoal black Devil's Trap. "I don't want to forget." She mumbled as she made herself comfortable on her bed.

Dr. Arnold sat in the chair by the window and took out her clipboard. "Do you remember what happened last night?

"I knocked out Stu." Cass told her, reliving the moment she'd smacked the bald security guard right upside the face with her dinner tray. It had provided some excitement to her completely boring day; though the dose of sedative she had received seconds later seriously diminished her happiness.

"And do you remember why?" Dr. Arnold inquired as she nonchalantly made some notes.

"I've been trying to warn him," Cassidy said as she finished the circle of her Devil's Trap. "And he never listens so I lashed out." She shot Dr. Arnold a dark stare. "Make sure you write _that_ down."

Dr. Arnold cleared her throat and folded her hands over her clipboard. "Carla-Anne...you can tell me what's wrong." She assured her. "I'll listen; that's why they pay me."

"Look, Reiko," Cass tucked her legs up under her chin and abandoned her sketch for the moment. "I know you think that I'm nuts; but all of this?" She slapped her hand against her notepad. "It's true."

"Right," Dr. Arnold seemed disappointed. "The end. The apocalypse." She'd heard all this from Carla before; repeatedly.

"Lilith is breaking the sixty-six seals." Cassidy informed her. "They're breaking all the time." She used her sketch pad as a flip book and fanned through the pages past all the seals she'd scribbled after she'd dreamed them broken. "And once they're all broken; Lucifer walks free from hell." Cass held her book close to her chest. "And Lucifer will bring the apocalypse."

Dr. Arnold checked her clipboard and flicked back a few pages, going over the old information her patient had given her. "And these are the only sixty-six seals in the world?"

"Nope," Cass leant back against her pillows and rested her notebook up against her legs. "I've been told there are six thousand seals altogether. But Lilith only sixty-six have to be broken." She sighed and started adding the symbols to her Devil's Trap. "And no one knows which ones she's going to break."

"You've 'been told'?" Dr. Arnold repeated. "By who?"

"The voices in my head." Cass answered bluntly. "That's what you want me to say, isn't it Doc? I hear voices and know the world is coming to an end." She laughed and blew some charcoal shavings off her notepad. "Seems like I should feel right at home in this nuthouse, huh?"

Biting her lip, Dr. Arnold gave up. She truly wanted to help this girl; but all she was faced with was a sardonic, bitter young woman who didn't seem to want anyone to help her out. "Alright, Carla," She rose to her feet. "I might come back and see you next week."

"Have a good one." Cass called after her in a gentle, sing-song voice, not looking up from her drawing.

Dr. Arnold flagged down Nurse Hackett as soon as Carla's door was safely shut. "Increase her dosage," Reiko told her as she wrote out the prescription. "It might be the only way to help her."

**xxx**


	28. Chapter 28:Someones Bound To Hear My Cry

**Chapter 28**

_Someone's Bound To Hear My Cry_

Dean sighed as he peered at Andie from the doorway of the kitchenette. She had fallen asleep on the couch with Sam's laptop in front of her and maps of the US surrounding her feet. They had arrived in Page, Virginia, just before sunset. Andie's idea to find Cassidy was to go over all the places they had been and maybe something might spark in her mind; a memory of where her friend might be. So far they hadn't had any luck. Dean had phoned Bobby and told him to let all the hunters he knew to be on the lookout. Cassidy had always been more welcoming of the help of others than Andie was; so it was possible maybe one of them had heard from her.

Not wanting to wake or move her, Dean covered Andie in her leather coat and smoothed her hair off her face. Even sleeping she looked troubled.

"Geez, Cas, you gotta stop the freaky popping in." Dean said, keeping his voice low as he pulled the door shut behind him.

"The girl, have you found her?" Castiel asked; his eyes vividly blue and clearly worried.

"You mean the other Cass? No..." Dean shook his head and looked over at his slumbering wife as he removed a beer from the refrigerator. "We're looking but Andie can't seem to get a lock on her location."

"It's imperative that you find her." Castiel told him, the cutting edge to his voice strengthening.

"Yeh, I know." Dean replied as he snapped the cap off his beer. "I don't need you on my case as well as Andie." He held the bottle to his lips

"No, you don't know!" Castiel snapped so loudly it made Dean choke on his beer. "That girl is in mortal danger and Andie is the only one with any method of finding her."

"What do you mean "mortal danger"?" Dean repeated, spluttering. Something wasn't right, Castiel rarely showed any extensive form of emotion about anything let alone Cassidy; whom Dean was quite sure the angel had never met. "Why do you suddenly care so much?" He inquired. "Cassidy's been missing for weeks; what's changed?"

A shadow seemed to cast across Castiel's face. "I'm not at liberty to say." He muttered in a low voice.

Dean rolled his eyes. Castiel always got the same face when he said that; a face that screamed he was dying to tell him the truth but his angelic morals stood in the way. "Look, enough with the cryptic talk, ok?"

Castiel turned his head to Andie and then within three strides was leaning over her sleeping form. "WAKE UP!" Castiel's voice roared in Andie's face, jolting her out of a sound sleep.

"What the frak?!" Andie sprang to her feet causing Dean's jacket to slide onto the floor in a heap. "What's wrong?"

"What the Hell, Cas?" Dean cried.

Castiel stared at Andie with wide eyes. "Your best friend is missing and you're taking a nap?"

"Cas, let up," Dean cut in. "She's exhausted."

Castiel shot him a bemused expression. "That's crap!" He shouted.

"Excuse me?" Andie asked, genuinely taken aback by his brashness.

"I cannot believe after everything you have done," Castiel advanced towards her with lean strides. "That you would give up so easily."

Andie backed away quickly having not expected his reaction. "What are you talking about?" She asked as she collided with Dean.

"Use your power." Castiel snatched Andie's shoulders up in his hands. "Find her!" He squeezed her arms.

"I can't!" Andie snapped back, shrugging him off. "I tried! I can't see her!"

"Then look _harder_!" Castiel bellowed. "Try _harder_!"

"You don't think I want to?" Andie hit back. "Why can't you find her; you manage to weed us out no matter how hard we try to evade you."

"Because she's not _her_ anymore." Castiel snapped. "That's why we can't see her."

Andie narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean she's not her anymore?"

"I've said too much already." Castiel said. "You are the only one who can find her; you have a connection to her!"

Andie let out an annoyed, growling breath; she hated when people tried to explain her bond with Cassidy. "Because we're friends?"

"Because of this!" Castiel grabbed her hand and held it open, revealing her old, but currently bright red, scar. "Your blood runs in her veins. And hers within yours. You are the only link to finding Cassidy and if you don't, she'll die."

Andie snatched her hand out from Castiel's grip, but she stared into his eyes as he did hers. It was as though he was silently telling her the importance of finding her friend since he was unable to verbally. In that look, Andie could tell how worried about Cassidy he was; and in a strange way that calmed her. Sam and Dean had been assuring her Cassidy was fine; it was comforting to know that at least somebody understood Andie's fear. "So what do you suggest?" She asked him.

"Andie-" Dean started.

"Dean, it's ok." Andie stopped him. "Hm?" She looked to Cas. "What do I do now?"

"A child of your power is meant to be nurtured as they grow," Castiel explained. "Your mother and grandmother would have been able to prepare you."

"But since Andie's folks were killed she never got to learn what else she could do?" Dean guessed.

"Yes." Castiel nodded. "You've never been trained." He started to slowly circle Andie. "You've never realized how powerful you actually are. Telekinesis is only the beginning."

"How can this help me find Cassidy?" Andie asked impatiently.

"You need to think of a memory, it'll tie you to her." Castiel replied. "An important memory between the two of you. Focus on it."

Andie closed her eyes and tried to think. There was the night they met, not exactly the nicest memory, the night they stole a Chevy from one of Cassidy's ex boyfriends, the night the set fire to a panel van to, in Cass's words, "see what might happen"; but none of them seemed right. Andie chewed her lip and tried to think back harder, when a sudden familiar stab in her palm made her think back to that night she'd received the permanent scar...

_...Andie downed another shot of tequila and tossed the empty shot glass onto the abandoned game of Scrabble she and Cassidy had attempted to play. _

_"Andie, you are sooooo drunk!" Cass giggled as she tried, unsuccessfully, to be flexible and put her legs behind her head._

_"I'm not as think as you drunk I am." Andie replied through a belch._

_Cassidy laughed hysterically. "Ha!" She gave up on her human pretzel idea and settled for the pretzel snacks that had spilled over the coffee table of her motel room. "This sure beats the scrap outta crabble." _

_"Yeah," Andie hiccoughed. "Where's my shoe?"_

_"Hey, I have a great idea..." Cassidy leant her petite body complete over Andie's torso to reach her bag. "To celebrate this momentous occasion." She retrieved her penknife from her bag and held it up like a trophy. "Ta-daa!"_

_Andie lifted her heavy head. "What?"_

_"Since we're parting ways tomorrow," Cass frowned. "Which is so, so sad." She flicked open the penknife. "This way we'll always be together..."_

_"Can't you get AIDS this way?" Andie inquired as she flopped her head back against the couch cushion and let Cassidy take her hand. _

_"No, that's a myth you girl," Cass muttered as she tried to steady her knife over Andie's palm. "Anyway, we're gonna be best friends forever and ever; I bet we even die on the same day! __This is just to seal it..."__ Gently she sliced the knife across Andie's skin.  
_

_"Sonuva!" Andie cried in pain. _

_"Done!" Cass yelped triumphantly before turning the knife to her own palm and cutting through the skin. "Ok, here. Your blood," She pressed her hand against Andie's so both of their cuts melded together. "My blood."_

_"Our blood." Andie grinned as she gripped Cassidy's hand... _

"Our blood." Andie repeated again as her eyes flew open. Dean and Castiel were standing in front of her.

"You ok?" Dean asked, noticing how heavily she was breathing.

Andie stared at him wide eyed. "I know where she is."

**xxx**

Cassidy finished the remaining circles on the devil's trap she was scribbling on her notepad. "Can never have enough..." She kept chanting over and over as she scrawled down the image.

Dr. Arnold was sitting with her again, even though her shift had ended the hour before. Ever since they had increased the dose of sedatives, her patient had been acting increasingly strange. She referred to herself as one of three different people at a time. She would talk about demons and the apocalypse as though they were real world fears. While some of her colleagues suggested upping her patients' dose even more, Reiko didn't want to drug her further than they already had; it was obviously having a negative effect on her.

"Carla," Reiko attempted to talk to her again. "I want you to tell me more about Andie."

"I'm not Carla...I'm Anna..." The frightened girl replied.

Reiko sighed. The cocky, stubborn Carla she had grown to expect had been missing since the increase in sedatives. It was as though she was hidden beneath the surface of this new personality, Anna. Anna seemed to know the most about these sixty-six seals and the supposed upcoming apocalypse, and she was definitely the personality that was the most scared of them.

"Cassidy's alright...she's just waiting..." The girl spoke quietly as she traced her fingers over her sketch.

Reiko made another note on her clipboard. Cassidy was the third personality and she didn't come out very often. Mostly she was just referred to when Anna was in control. To Reiko, it was a case of multiple personalities and schizophrenia. This poor young woman would be institutionalized for her whole life; there was no way she would be able to function in society.

"Anna...can I speak to Carla?" Reiko asked gently.

"The angels are losing...." She stared out the window, her eyes glossy with tears. "We're all going to die..."

The burgeoning migraine throbbed through Reiko's forehead. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she got to her feet. "I'll come and see you tomorrow." She promised. "Goodnight, Anna."

"Goodnight..." Anna replied absentmindedly. After Reiko left, Anna began a new drawing. She scribbled the date February 25 1982 over and over again. She didn't know what the date meant, but she felt compelled to continue writing it. Anna had been at it for almost a half-hour before the night attendant, Neil, arrived.

"Time for your meds." Neil ordered.

Anna put her book down and looked up. Her stomach twisted and she gasped. "Your face?" She cried. "What happened to your face?!"

"I know." Neil laughed as his eyes clouded to a demonic black. "I'm downright kissable."

Anna squinted her eyes closed and clenched her whole body tightly as the attendant lurched for her. When she didn't feel his impact, she peeked through her eyelids. Somehow, she had moved the chest of drawers in the corner and slammed them against her attacker. He was pinned against the back wall. Anna clenched again and the door to her room flew open and smacked the demon in the back of the head; knocking him unconscious. Sensing her freedom, Anna abandoned all of her drawings and bolted out the door hoping against all hope she would find safety somewhere; her life depended on it.

**xxx**

Andie knew when she, Dean and Sam arrived at the Connor Beverly Behavioural Medicine Centre that Cassidy wasn't there. She could sense it. She wasn't sure why, but it had something to do with that memory of when she got her scar. If Andie wanted to know where Cassidy was, she just had to look at that scar and then the memory would replay in her head. It was as though it was an alert; letting her know if she was close or not. When they arrived at the hospital, Andie knew Cassidy had been there when she saw the name on one of the patient doors. Carla-Anne March. One of Cassidy's favourite alias'. And with that information on hand, Dean and Sam were able to use their own FBI alias' to get an interview with Dr. Reiko Arnold; Cass's doctor.

"Of course I wanna help her if I can." She agreed when Dean asked if they could chat to her.

"So the orderly, Neil?" Sam asked Reiko as he pocketed his badge. "He has no recollection of Carla's escape?"

"No, no she knocked him out." Reiko replied. "The blow caused some amnesia; he doesn't even remember coming into her room." She sighed. "It's very important that she's found, I don't know how her illness will affect her out in the real world."

"Her illness?" Andie repeated.

"Carla was very sick. Mentally." Reiko explained. "Multiple personalities, schizophrenia...she seemed to be getting worse." She shook her head as the troubling sessions replayed in her mind. "Often she would talk to me in numerous personalities. Lately, she only responds to Anna."

"Lately?" Dean prompted.

"When she arrived, she responded to Carla and often referred to a woman named Andie, but she wouldn't tell us who that was." Reiko rubbed her temple as another migraine threatened to take her over.

Andie's breath caught in her throat, Cassidy had been herself when she arrived. At least for a short time; what had happened to change her, she wondered.

"Then for a few days she called herself Cassidy; but wouldn't give us a last name." Reiko continued. "When we increased her dosage of sedatives, Anna appeared."

"So,what happened?" Dean asked. "She just...flipped?"

"Well, that's the tragedy of schizophrenia." Reiko informed him. "Within weeks, Carla was overtaken by delusions."

"What kind of delusions?" Sam asked, shooting a concerned glance at Andie.

"She thought demons were everywhere. It's not uncommon for our patients to believe that monsters are real." Reiko handed Sam one of the many sketchbooks that had been left behind. "Carla believed, too; but Anna was particularly terrified of them."

Sam flicked through the pages of the book and paused when he saw sketches with the text 'Raising of The Witnesses' and 'Samhain the next seal is broken' as well as numerous pages covered in symbols and devil's traps.

"Revelations…" Dean murmured, taking the book and handing it over to Andie.

"When she became ill, her paranoia took on religious overtones." Reiko explained. "She was convinced the devil was about to rise up and end the world." She shook her head sorrowfully. "I do hope you find her. It's dangerous for her to be out there alone right now." With that, she left them alone and went back to work.

Having got all the information they were going to get, Sam, Dean and Andie left the hospital

"Any idea where she is now?" Sam asked Andie as they headed out the front door.

"A church." Andie replied suddenly, before she even thought about it.

Dean stopped in his tracks. "How do you know that?" He asked.

Andie creased her brow and frowned. "I don't know how I know..I just...know."

"Ok," Dean led them to his car and opened up the back seat for Andie. "Just keep a lock on her. We'll find her soon, ok?"

"Yeh." Andie replied vaguely as she climbed into the car.

Sam grabbed his brother by the arm when they were out of earshot of Andie. "Hey...how are we gonna do this?"

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"You heard that doctor," Sam reminded him. "Multiple personalities...what if when we find Cassidy...she's not her anymore."

"Look," Dean cast a quick look at Andie through the windscreen. "Andie's gonna go nuts if we don't find her soon. So as far as I'm concerned, we grab Cassidy anyway we can and then sort it out later, ok?"

"Yeh..." Sam replied as vaguely as Andie. He would never let on how terrified he was. With all he'd learnt from Ruby in the months while Dean was in Hell; Sam knew that the longer it took for them to find Cassidy, the more in danger she was.

As they drove to the church Andie described, she flicked over the pages of Cassidy's notebook. It was astounding, the sketches and script chronicled every demon and seal that Sam, Dean and Andie had come across within the last few months. Lilith and Lucifer were in there as well. Andie couldn't really understand, this had to be Anna's writing because Cassidy didn't know any of this information. But then who was Anna? A demon? That would explain how she managed to escape...but not why it took her so long to do so. So much of it didn't make sense. And if she was a demon, had she been in Cassidy for months? Sighing, Andie flipped over another page of the sketchbook and saw the date February 25 written over and over. Andie gulped; that was her birthday. That meant, Anna or Cassidy, there was some memory of Andie in that brain, something she could connect with.

An hour later, they arrived at the church Andie saw in her vision. It was the only one in town and Andie still couldn't understand how she knew where it was. Castiel had said she was completely blind to her own potential; that was frightening. Andie thought she had a pretty decent handle on her telekinesis, but new powers being unearthed could present a range of problems. The worst of which was the fact she couldn't control them; but that was a problem for another time. Right now, all she wanted to do was find Cassidy.

The trio loaded themselves up with guns before the entered the empty church, there didn't even seem to be a pastor there. It was completely deserted. There was no one on the first level so Andie followed Sam and Dean up the flight of stairs to the loft.

"Cass?" Andie called as she followed Dean into the room. "It's me ... Andie." She flicked her eyes around the room keeping watch for any signs of movement. "Sam and Dean are here, too."

"Sam..." Cassidy's soft voice spoke out from behind a pillar in the corner. "Sam Winchester." She stepped out into view, her eyes widening when she caught site of the Winchester brothers.

"Hey!" Andie grinned in relief when she saw her friend. "I'm so glad we found you." She strode over to her friend. But Cassidy took two steps back and gave Andie a strange look. "Cassidy, what's wrong?"

"That's not my name." Cassidy shook her head. "I'm Anna." She flicked her head towards Dean and smiled. "The Dean Winchester. Oh, the angels talk about you. Castiel pulled you out of hell. Some of them think you're help..." Her smile disappeared. "Some don't like you at all."

Dean smiled but was still confused. "Cassidy...what are you talking about?"

Cassidy, her face in awe of the eldest Winchester son, took a few tentative steps towards him. "They talk about you all the time; I feel like I know you."

"You _do _know him!" Andie snapped and pulled her friend back by the wrist. "Cass; it's me." She stared into her friend's eyes; searching for familiarity, but she didn't find any. "You're not Cassidy..." She whispered under her breath, her brow wrinkling into a worried expression.

"I told you; I'm Anna." She replied, not taking her eyes off the brothers.

"What about Cassidy?" Andie asked through gritted teeth. "Where is she? Can I talk to her? Is she alright?"

"She's fine. Just waiting..." Anna answered. "She doesn't like to hear all the voices."

"So, wait, you said you talk to angels?" Sam asked her.

"No." Anna shook her head at him. "They probably don't even know that I exist. I just," She cocked her head to the side. "I hear them."

"When did it start?" Sam inquired.

"September 18th." Anna replied.

"The day I got outta hell..." Dean remembered, all too clearly.

"No, that doesn't make sense." Andie spoke up. "I was with Cassidy then, she wasn't any different. You couldn't have been inside her all this time."

"You got the girl, good!" Ruby's voice interrupted from the doorway as she rushed in; cutting off Anna before she could respond. "Now let's get outta here."

Anna reared back in horror. "Oh, her face!"

"It's ok," Sam held up his hands. "She's here to help."

"We have to hurry!" Ruby snapped, checking the doorway again. "A demons coming, a big-timer."

"Well, that's convenient." Dean told her sarcastically. "Showing up right when we find the girl with a big ass demon on your tail."

"I didn't bring him here." Ruby retorted defensively. "You did. He followed you from the hotel after Princess Vision did her little voodoo trick." She jabbed a dainty finger at Andie.

"Oh, Dean?" Sam pointed to an angel statue that had started bleeding through her eyes.

"It's too late…" Ruby whispered. "He's here."

"Who?" Andie asked, her breath quickening. There was definitely something dark on its way, Andie's skin started crawling in anticipation.

"Ok, come here," Sam snatched Cassidy/Anna by her hand and pulled her over into a closet. "Just stay in here, don't move." He tucked her inside; she looked up at him with Cassidy's fearful eyes. "Hey," He squeezed her hand. "It's gonna be ok." He gave her a wobbly smile.

"Sam, you got to pull him right away." Ruby ordered.

"Whoa, hold on a sec." Dean stepped in, knowing she meant for his brother to use his power to exorcise the demon.

"Now's not the time to bellyache about Sam going dark side!" Ruby sniped. "He does his thing, he exorcises that demon, or we die."

A loud crack echoed through the room as the door snapped open. In walked a sneering gentleman in a tan suit that set his eyes on Sam the moment he walked in. He straightened his tie and seemed to just await Sam's attack.

Sam took a deep breath and raised his palm to the demon, focusing all of his energy into his power and willing the demon possessing the body to be expunged. The demon immediately grabbed his throat as though he was choking and his eyes flashed bright white. Then he coughed and his eyes returned to normal. "That tickles." He complained. "You don't have the juice to take me on, Sam." He added with a devilish smirk. He held up his hand and clenched it into a fist then pulled it in towards his body. Sam soared through the air and crashed down the staircase. The demon grinned and turned to Andie.

"I got it!" Andie volunteered as she threw up both her hands to the demon, attempting to knock him off his feet. He barely rocked on his haunches. "Oooh...I don't got it." The demon grinned and raised his hand back over his head.

Dean flew beside her and tackled her down to the ground before the demon could unleash his attack on her.

"Oof!" Andie groaned as Dean fell on top of her.

"You good?" Dean asked.

"Yeh, go." Andie told him.

Dean got to his feet and unsheathed Ruby's knife from his hip. He lunged at the demon but he grabbed Dean's wrist and punched him in the stomach. He then grabbed Dean by the collar of his jacket and pulled him in close. "Hello again, Dean…" He smiled and pushed him heavily into the wall. After a couple of good measure punches, Dean dropped Ruby's knife and the demon snarled at him. "Don't you recognize me? Oh, I forgot; I'm wearing a paediatrician." He connected his fist into Dean's jaw again and then backhanded him just as hard. "But we were so close…in hell."

Dean took another punch to the mouth and tasted the familiar saltiness of his blood. The demonic eyes that glared at him were unforgettable. "Alistair." He spat.

Andie heard the whole conversation as she got shakily to her feet. She'd never heard Dean mention anything about hell before; let alone any demons. But she had to put that out of her mind for the moment. Snatching Ruby's knife up off the ground, Andie advanced swiftly upon Alistair. He turned around when she stepped on a creaky floorboard but Andie was already close enough; she stabbed the knife through the demons chest with all her might.

"Aw, you're gonna have to try a whole lot harder than that, sweetness." Alistair grabbed her by her shoulder, snatching up her hair and clothes in his fist and tossing her across the room.

"Andie!" Dean called as he tried to get up off the floor.

"Oh, so this is Andie…" Alistair glowered down at her. "Well, I can say it is an honour to put a face to the name."

From behind, Sam appeared looking shaken from his trip downstairs, but he was able to trip Alistair to the ground and kick the end of the knife even further into the demons chest. Alistair groaned in pain and grabbed at the knife handle. Sam hurried to his brothers' side and pulled him to his feet. Silently, the pair looked from Alistair, to each other, to the paint glass window. They knew jumping was their only option. While Alistair struggled to get the knife out of his chest, the brothers ran for the window, Dean snatching Andie up by her hand as she ran, then the trio flew into the glass and sailed down to the ground.

**xxx**


	29. Chapter 29: Dirty Rotten Angels

**Chapter 29**

_Dirty Rotten Angels_

Andie suffered the least injuries from the jump out of the church window and by doing so was able to drive the Impala back to the hotel; a rare occurrence. Dean had dislocated his shoulder and Sam had a deep gash on his forearm that hindered both brothers from driving. Andie had a few bumps and bruises but nothing too debilitating. Well, so far. What was eating away at her was the fact that Ruby had run off with Cassidy and Andie had no idea where they were. Sam was quite calm at this turn of events; he thought Cassidy was much safer now. Since he was injured, Andie didn't press the matter as of yet.

When they got back to their hotel room, Andie was unwillingly given the role of nursemaid. Sam's gushing arm took precedence so she sat him on his bed and pulled a chair up in front of him. After rinsing the wound with whiskey from the minbar she cleaned her hands and started stitching it up with a needle and some very thick thread.

Dean rinsed his bloody mouth in the bathroom while he waited to be tended to. "Are you almost done?" He complained.

"I'm going as fast as I can." Andie snapped back, Sam's squirming wasn't making it any easier to stitch him up. And the throbbing in her head from where she'd smacked it on the ground was getting worse as time went on.

"Good, 'cause you know I got a dislocated shoulder over here." Dean whined as he came back into the bedroom and started sucking down whiskey from another bottle.

"Yeh, I'll pop it back when I'm finished with this one." Andie said as she sewed through Sam's tough skin and then tied it off in a knot. As she pulled it against his skin, blood seeped out the newly closed wound.

"Dammit, Andie." Sam said through gritted teeth.

"Sorry." Andie replied as she cut off the thread and wiped her hands on a tea towel. "Hey, gimme that," Andie clicked her fingers at Dean until he handed her the bottle of whiskey he was draining. "Sorry again." Andie apologized before she poured the alcohol over his wound. It was rough, hunter medicine but it would kill the germs and stop an infection. "Good boy." Andie praised Sam when he didn't audibly holler at the obvious pain he was feeling.

"So, you lost the magic knife, huh?" Dean asked of his brother as he down some more whiskey to prepare himself for Andie's effective but rough bedside manner.

"Yeah, saving your ass." Sam pointed out as he took the bottle from his brother. "Who the hell was that demon?" He asked before he took a long swig of the bitter, amber liquid

"No one good." Dean answered evasively. "We got to find Cassidy."

"Ruby's got her. I'm sure she's okay." Sam said as he laid his battered and bruised body down on his bed.

Andie moved around Dean so she was standing behind him. Gently, she rested a hand on either side of his dislocated shoulder and held it firmly. "Ready? On three, ok? One..." With a swift snap of her hands, Andie popped Dean's shoulder back into place.

"Ohhrrr!!" Dean grunted under his breath, clenching his mouth tightly closed.

Andie tilted Dean's head up by his chin. "You know I never go on three." She pecked him on the lips. "Idiot." She gently slapped his cheek then took a clean tea towel and wrapped some ice in it, giving it to Sam to hold against his cut. "Are you sure about Ruby?" She asked him as she started to gather up the soiled cloths. "Cause I think she's just as likely to hand Cass over to that demon who tried to kill us."

"No, she took her to keep her safe." Sam assured her.

"Well, why hasn't she called to tell us where she is?" Dean asked as he started sucking on the whiskey bottle again.

"Because that demon is probably watching us right now, waiting to follow us right back to Cass, or Anna, again. That's why he let us go."

"You call this letting us go?" Dean gestured to their beaten bodies.

"Yeah, I do." Sam said. "Look, killing us would've been no problem to that thing. That's why, for now, we just got to lay low and wait for Ruby to contact us."

"Why do you trust her so much?" Dean asked.

"I told you." Sam muttered shooting a bashful glanced at Andie.

"I'm gonna go, uh, clean your blood out of your car..." Andie offered, gathering up the remaining bottle of whiskey. It was clear Sam wasn't going to speak in front of her, and she wasn't even sure she wanted to know. Dean would fill her in on the important details later. Right now, she just needed a drink. "I'll be outside." She didn't hear their voices pick up again until after she'd closed the motel door.

The impala shone in the moonlight, as it always did, but the interior of the vehicle wasn't as pretty as the exterior. It was probably the first time Andie had been thankful of Dean's messiness because most of his blood in the backseat had been caught by old newspapers before it could seep through the fabric. She tossed out anything stained, scrubbed away at the passenger's seat where Sam's arm wound had oozed onto the chair, and then set herself up on the trunk of the car with the bottle of whiskey.

It was a beautifully clear night and the stars were out. Andie lay on her back against the rear windscreen of the Impala and stared up to the heavens whilst hugging the emptying whiskey bottle to her chest. For the first time since they got back, Andie let herself feel the pain of her injuries. She'd twisted her ankle and could feel it swelling as she laid still. Her head was aching in three different points and all the gashes on her arms seemed to burn in the cool night air. Taking another swig of whiskey, Andie tried to keep her mind off Cassidy. She knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on finding her and Ruby.

"You look pretty." Dean's pained, gravelly voice said as he came outside.

"Sam ok?" Andie asked.

"Fine. He hit the shower." Dean paused at the end of the car. "He slept with Ruby, by the way."

Andie shot him a look but didn't shift from her spot. "Huh," She held the whiskey bottle to her lips. "You'd think that'd surprise me...but it don't." She swallowed a large mouthful of drink. "Cass, on the other hand, will freak." Andie chuckled; then stopped herself. She'd been trying so hard not to think of Cass and now she was the one to bring her up.

Sighing, Dean climbed up on the Impala and lay down beside her. "We'll fix this, Morgan." He said, wrapping his good arm around her shoulders and sliding her over against him.

Andie let him hold her and leant her cheek against his chest. "She didn't know who I was." She finally mumbled, her words slurred a little having been effected by the alcohol. "I looked her right in the eyes." Andie vividly remembered that expression Cassidy had on her face; it broke her heart. "It was like...I was a stranger."

Dean rubbed her arm. "I dunno if she's possessed or what; but we'll figure it out and we'll get her back." He ran his hand over the back of her head. "I promise."

Andie closed her eyes and tried to let the rhythmic sound of Dean's heartbeat soothe her. "How did I not know?" She whispered. "She'd been in that place for months...how did I _not_ _know_ she needed me?" Her eyes spilled over and tears started slipping down her cheeks.

Dean wrapped both his arms around her and held her tightly against his body. She shuddered as she tried to hold in her tears; even when they were alone she had trouble divulging how she really felt. He understood her pain; Cassidy was the closest thing to family that Andie had. Besides himself and Sam, whom she'd known less than half the time she'd known Cass, Andie had no one. Cassidy was a solid constant throughout her life, and Dean suspected it had been Cass's influence that turned Andie from a Hellraiser into the resilient hunter he loved so much.

**xxx**

It turned out that Andie didn't have to worry about Cassidy for much longer because when she and Dean came back to the motel room, they were joined by a heavyset maid who had been possessed by Ruby. She told them Cassidy was fine and waiting for them at a cabin on the outskirts of town and that they had to hurry and leave because there were demons surrounding the motel waiting for Cassidy to pop up.

They found Ruby and Cassidy safe and secure in a dilapidated cabin in the middle of nowhere; seemingly the perfect hiding place.

"Glad you could make it." Ruby grumbled when the trio arrived.

"Are you okay?" Andie asked Cassidy, unsure of what name to use as of yet.

"Yes, I think so," She smiled vaguely. "Ruby's not like other demons; she saved my life."

"Yeh, I hear she does that." Dean grumbled. "Look," he cleared his throat and dawdled nearby Ruby. "I guess I…you know…" He shrugged.

"What?"

"I guess I owe you for... Sam." He cleared his throat again. "And just I want to you know…" He gestured at her and nodded.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Don't strain yourself."

"Okay, then. Is the moment over?" Ruby nodded and Dean unclenched. "Good,'cause that was awkward."

"Aw, such a sweet boy." Andie beamed at him.

"Shut up." Dean blushed.

"OH!" Cassidy suddenly cried out and grabbed her skull. "Oh, they're coming! I hear them!"

"Back room!"

Sam snatched Cass up by the elbow and hid with her in the back room.

"Where's the knife?" Ruby asked.

Andie looked sheepish. "Uh, about that…"

"You have _got_ to be kidding!"

"Hey, don't look at me!" Dean held up his hands.

"You two have impeccable timing, really."

With an earsplitting blast, the doors and half the wall of the shack crashes open, and Castiel with Uriel in tow came charging in.

"Please tell me you're here to help." Dean directed at Castiel. "We've been having demon issues all day."

"Well, I can see that." Uriel sniped; his hollow, soulless eyes casting up and down at Ruby. "You want to explain why you have that stain in the room?"

"We're here for Anna." Castiel demanded.

"_Cassidy_, is not going anywhere." Andie folded her arms

"Stop talking." Uriel silenced her. "Give her to us."

Dean was puzzled. "Are you gonna help her?"

"No," Castiel seemed very troubled. "She has to die."

Andie laughed. The situation was far from funny; but the very idea that the solution to this problem was Cassidy's death was the very essence of laughable. "Well, obviously that's not going to happen, so what's plan B?"

"Don't worry," Uriel smirked. "I'll kill her gentle."

"Are you insane?" She blocked his path. "Cassidy is innocent in all of this!"

"She's far from innocent." Castiel spoke up.

"What the hell does that mean?" Sam snapped.

"It means she's worse than this abomination you've been screwing." Uriel turned his nose towards Ruby.

"Sorry," Dean shook his head. "Get yourself another one."

Uriel held his hands to his sides. "Who's gonna stop us? You three?" He stood up to Ruby. "Or this demon whore?" He grabbed Ruby by her collar and tossed her over his shoulder, as though she were light as a feather.

Castiel turned to Sam, who began backing away quickly. "Cas, stop it, please." But Castiel just pressed his fingers to Sam's forehead, causing him to collapse. From the floor, Andie threw her hand out towards Castiel to knock him off his feet; but her power barely affected him. He just stumbled backwards and did a similar manoeuvre right back to her sending her sliding across the room until the collided heavily with the fireplace, her head cracking against the sturdy, stone structure. Her vision was unfocused but she could see Uriel clearly taking great pleasure in beating Dean to a bloody pulp.

"No..." She groaned and unsteadily tried to get to her feet; before she got close to Dean, a blinding white light made her rear back and cover her face. After a few moments, everything appeared to return to normal; except that both Castiel and Uriel were gone.

Dean, bleeding from numerous blows to the face, got shakily to his feet while holding onto his bruised elbow. "You ok?" He asked Andie as she arrived at his side and looped his good arm over her shoulder so he could lean against her.

"I'm good." She assured him as she helped him sit down on a rickety, old chair beside Sam's unconscious body. Quickly, Andie checked his pulse – steady and strong – and then went in search of Cassidy. She found her friend cowering in the corner of a cupboard with her arms shielding her face; as if in terror. "Cass...Anna?" Andie reached for her and shook her a little. When she touched her friend; Andie realized her hands and arms were covered in blood. She could see bloody still seeping from a rough cut across Cassidy's left palm. "Wh...?" She started to say, but then noticed the mirror on the back of the closet door. It had a symbol on it drawn in blood, similar to a devil's trap,

"Are they gone?" Cassidy whispered tearfully as she clenched her hand to staunch her bleeding palm.

"Did you kill them?"

"No, I sent them away...." She looked at Andie; but her eyes were glassy and seemed unfocused. "Far away."

"How?" Andie pointed to the mirror. "How did you know how to do that?"

"It just popped into my head. I dunno how I did it...I just..." She shrugged. "I just did it."

"Ok..." Andie lifted her friend up to her feet. "Let's go."

Ruby was rousing Sam when Andie came in. "She ok?" Sam asked as he slouched up beside Dean on the chair.

"I think so." Andie replied. "Ruby, can you take her to the car?"

"We're we gonna move her to?" Ruby asked. "I mean; they'll be back."

"We'll take her to Bobby's." Dean groaned and tried to extend his aching arm. "She'll be safe there."

Ruby took Cassidy by the arm and led her outside. When they were out of earshot, Andie explained to the brothers about the blood sigils Cassidy had drawn.

"This whole thing is getting crazier by the second." Dean muttered.

"What do you think they meant by her not being "innocent"?" Sam asked.

"They gotta be talking about Anna," Andie told him, her voice sharper than she intended it to be. "Maybe she's a demon..."

"She's not a demon." Dean assured Andie. "It's something else..."

Andie sighed. "So, what's your plan? Get her to Bobby's and lock her up in the panic room?"

Dean nodded and forced himself to get to his feet. "Better than nothing. It'll keep her safe and prove to you that she's not demonically possessed." He patted Andie's arm as he passed her. "Babe, you wanna drive? My arms acting up."

"I get to drive to drive _again_?" Andie grinned as she and Sam followed Dean outside. "Am I dying?"

**xxx**

Andie sat with Cassidy in Bobby's panic room just watching her; trying to figure out what was going on with her friend. Bobby wasn't at home; apparently he was working a case in the Dominican but he gave them free reign of his house with a strict "you break it, you bought it" rule. Sam was with Dean going to pick up Pamela, the psychic who had been blinded when she contacted Castiel in the days after Dean's resurrection from Hell, and bring her back to see Cassidy. Dean thought that if anyone could break through Anna's exterior and get to Cass; it would be Pamela.

"Anna?" Andie voiced quietly from her spot, sitting cross legged on the bed stashed to the corner, as Cassidy wandered around the panic room tracing her hand across the iron walls. "The angels said you were guilty of something...do you know what?"

"I have no idea." Anna answered. "But I promise; I would tell you if I did. I would give anything to know."

"What about Cassidy?" Andie asked carefully. "Does she know?"

Her friend turned and looked concernedly at Andie; almost pitifully. "I don't quite understand what happened to me or to your friend." She admitted. "But there are something's that I can remember that I know aren't memories of my own." She lifted her palm up and faced it to Andie; the same palm that hand that carried the old scar mirroring the one on Andie's palm. "I see this a lot in my head." Anna spoke. "And the words "ugly but permanent"..." Anna looked confused. "What does that mean?"

Something clutched Andie's heart in that second, that memory struck her deep within. "It's, ah, just something Cassidy said to me..." Her voice started to shake. "She told me her love for me was like our scars." Andie chewed her lip to keep herself together. "Ugly but permanent." She let out a little laugh.

Anna smiled, Cassidy's smile. "That's very sweet."

"We're here!" Dean's voice hollered down the staircase as he led Pamela towards the panic room.

"Hey, Pamela, good to see you." Andie greeted her.

Pamela had a walking stick and dark sunglasses covering her eyes; but her personality was as sharp as always. "Wish I could say that same." She tapped her glasses and smirked.

"Oh, yeh, I didn't mean...of course you can't...um..."

"Relax, Andie, don't strain yourself." Pamela chuckled. "Anyway, lack of vision just heightened my other senses. Like, I can tell you're about a million times more relaxed then the last time we met."

Andie flinched. The last time they'd met, Dean had just come back from Hell and Andie was less than welcoming of Pamela's help; or anyone's really. "Yeh, well...bygones."

"Thought you'd say that." Pamela paused for a moment and then turned her head towards Anna. "You must be the girl I'm here to help." She smiled.

"That's nice of you." Anna replied.

"Not really," Pamela admitted. "Any chance I can dick over an angel, I'm taking it."

"Why?"

"They stole something from me." She slowly pulled off her sunglasses revealing her bright, white eyeballs. "Demon-y, I know. But they're just plastic. Good for business, make me look extra psychic, don't you think?" She took Cassidy by her hands and led her towards the bed. "Now, how 'bout you tell me what your deal is?"

Dean, Sam and Andie all hung by the door as Pamela put Cassidy into a deep state of hypnosis. Andie nudged Dean. "How sure are you this will work?" She whispered.

"Don't worry, Pamela's good at this." Dean assured her. "Hopefully she can tap into Anna's thoughts; understand why she possessed Cassidy."

"Anna, can you hear me?" Pamela spoke softly to the sleeping girl.

"Yes, I can." Anna replied quietly.

"I want to speak to Cassidy." Pamela asked. "Let her out; please."

"No, I can't." Anna said. "I need her."

"Just for a few minutes, Anna, please. Her friends want to speak to her and make sure she's okay." Pamela reached out and touched her hand. "You can feel that Cassidy wants to speak to them, too. Please let her through."

"Andie..." Anna murmured.

"What?"

"Andie!" Cassidy suddenly screamed and lurched upright.

"Cass?" Andie hurried to her friend's side. "Hey, hey it's me."

"Andie, you have to help me." Cassidy grabbed her friend by her collar and pulled her close. "Please."

"It's ok, you'll be okay." Andie promised.

"I can't hold her back; she's too strong." Cassidy shook her head. "Anna; she's everywhere."

"We'll get her out of you, I promise, Cass."

"You can't." Cassidy smiled sadly. "It's the weirdest thing...it's like I'm in her head and my own at the same time...I know that she's not dangerous; she doesn't want to hurt anyone. And she feels really guilty about possessing me...she knows how sad it makes you."

Andie was puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"I know how to get her out of me. She needs a new host."

"Okay..."

"But she won't leave a healthy body for no reason."

Realization hit Andie like a slap in the face. "No." She said firmly.

"Andie-"

"No, I won't do that!"

"Please, Andie," She held her friend's face within her palms. "You have to kill me."

Andie gripped Cassidy's wrists tightly. "No; I won't do that."

"Andie, you have to." Cassidy pleaded. "Shoot me or something; if you injure me, she'll leave my body."

"Cass; that could kill you, I'm not going to do that!"

"Andie, if you love me you'll do it!" Cassidy cried. "I can't do this! I would rather die than live with her inside my head! I can't live inside my own body and have no control over it!"

"Andie; let go of her." Pamela suddenly cut in. "Anna's coming back."

"Andie, please." Cassidy's eyes welled with tears. "Please do this for me! Please, I'm begging you, please!"

Andie squared her jaw and fought back tears. "I can't."

Cassidy screamed and her body flung back onto the mattress. Andie recoiled and backed away, Dean held her arms and pulled her close to him.

"Anna?" Pamela asked Cassidy's body. "Are you back?"

"Yes." Anna smiled through Cassidy's body. "Yes, I'm here."

"Wake in 1...2...3...4...5." Pamela chanted. Anna opened her eyes and sat herself up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." She sounded different, more coherent now. No longer was she vague and unfocused; she was sincere. "Thank you, Pamela. I remember who I am now."

"Who are you?" Dean asked as Andie tightened her grip on his hand.

She smiled. "I'm an angel."

**xxx**


	30. Chapter 30: Who Will Save Your Soul?

**Chapter 30**

_Who Will Save Your Soul?_

Now that Anna's identity was more certain, everyone abandoned the panic room and settled upstairs in Bobby's living room. Ruby, who had been waiting for them, was not comfortable with the news that Anna was an angel. "I don't find that very reassuring." She said when Anna declared she wasn't like the other angels.

"Neither do I." Pamela chimed in.

"Castiel and Uriel, they are the ones who came for me?" Anna directed at Sam.

Sam cocked his head to one side "You know them?"

"I'm sort of like their boss." Anna told him, but without any hint of self-importance.

"Then why do they want to kill you?" Andie asked, arms folded, from the doorway. It was strange how now, with Anna's memory returning, she seemed like a completely different person. The fact that she looked like Cassidy meant nothing. And that was distressing.

"Orders are orders," Anna shrugged. "I'm sure I have a death sentence over my head." Her smile was strong; but her eyes held a clear expression of fear.

"Why?" Dean asked his stance as troubled as Andie's.

"I disobeyed." Anna admitted. "Which, for us, is about the worst thing you can do. I fell."

"She fell to earth, and became human." Pamela explained.

"You mean you became Cassidy." Andie sniped.

"It wasn't intentional." Anna told her. "I assure you of that. But…I needed her."

"How?" Sam snapped, his anger rising. "How can angels just become human?"

"It kind of hurts. Try cutting your kidney out with a butter knife." Anna seemed to shiver at the memory. "That kind of hurt. I ripped out my grace. It's...energy. Hacked it out and fell."

"Into Cassidy." Ruby finished for her.

"Pretty much." Anna nodded. "She was the perfect vessel. Strong, confident and willing to do anything to help another.

"You tricked her." Andie spat.

"No." Anna replied firmly. "She knew what I asked."

"Then why did she beg me to kill her so you would get out of her body?" Andie replied curtly, raising her eyebrows. "Answer me that."

Anna sighed and set her mouth in a firm line. "I believe she miscalculated the sacrifice she would have to make."

Andie scoffed. "You are _un_believable."

"I don't think you all appreciate how completely screwed we are." Ruby added.

"Ruby's right," Anna said. "Heaven wants me dead."

"Oh, not just heaven, love." Andie retorted, her anger pulsing through her body. She smacked her hand against the doorframe as she exited the living room; hoping to release some of the frustration pumping through her veins.

Taking deep, steadying breaths, Andie made her way out to Bobby's junkyard. Her head was pounding, she was so confused. She sat herself up on the bonnet of an old Holden sedan with three missing wheels. Andie had lost too many people she cared about in her life; and it was only because of the angels that she got Dean back. But to lose Cassidy as well; that wasn't something she thought she could handle. The two of them were kindred souls; Andie always felt as though she'd known Cassidy her whole life, like she was a missing link that Andie had been searching for her whole life. Now, faced with losing her, Andie didn't know what to do, how to think, where to turn; losing Cassidy was such an unfathomable result for her to comprehend.

"Andie, don't check out on me now." Dean's voice sang from over Andie's shoulder.

She didn't even turn to see him; she knew he'd follow her. "I'm not checking out, I just… I can't be in the same room as her…she's not Cassidy."

Dean climbed up beside her on the bonnet of the old Holden. He didn't say anything; he knew nothing would make her feel better. He remembered too clearly when Sam died and Bobby tried to help him; Dean wouldn't listen. He just wanted to be alone with his misery. Even though it broke his heart to know that Andie was in so much pain; he knew she didn't want him to pull her out of it. At least, not yet. His presence beside her seemed to be enough comfort to her, because a moment later she leant her head against his shoulder. He turned and pressed a tender kiss against her crown.

Neither of them discussed what had to happen next; but they both knew it. Andie's only way to save Cassidy was to do as she asked; wound her body. And then hope she could make it to hospital in time for her to be saved. But could she do it? Could Andie really try to kill her best friend to save her life? Was it selfish for her to want to take the chance…or was she doing as Cassidy begged.

"Ok boys, I'm checking out." Pamela's voice called as she made her way onto the porch.

Dean climbed off the Holden and helped her down the stairs. "Let me drive you home." He offered.

"If it's all the same to you, sweetness, I'd rather take a cab." She patted his back. "Seems like the closer I am to you kids the more danger I'm in. Was good seeing you though," She patted the side of his face. "Keep in touch."

"I'll walk you out." Andie offered with a smile; forgetting Pamela wouldn't be able to see this gesture, but she seemed to know anyway.

"Thanks, sweetie." Pamela looped her arm through Andie's and the pair of them walked towards the exit of Bobby's mammoth wreck yard. Andie called for a cab and for a few more feet, they were silent. When they were far enough away that Andie was sure they wouldn't be overheard, she started to speak. "So, I need to ask you something."

Pamela smiled. "Finally! I've been waiting for you to ask for near on an hour, girlie." She laughed.

"I hate psychics." Andie grumbled.

"Everyone says that. But look who you're asking for help, huh?"

Andie chewed the inside of her mouth. "You did help me with Cassidy, and…thank you for that, I guess."

"That hurt you to say, didn't it?"

Andie found herself chuckling. "Yes, it did." She helped Pamela sit on a bench on the outskirts of Bobby's junkyard parallel to the street.

"Y'know, from the day I met you Andie, I knew a lot about you." Pamela sighed and looked towards the distance. "I can read people, and you were _seething_."

"Yeah, well…" Andie tried to brush it off; she didn't like thinking back to those months without Dean and the effect it had on her. She didn't need to be reminded of the anger she had felt.

"Dean died. And it broke something inside you." She spoke as plainly as if she was discussing the weather, even though her scarily accurate reading was making Andie nervous. "But…I also knew that whatever it was, it had been broken before." She paused for a moment. "You're used to death, aren't you?"

Andie nodded, and then realized she was talking with a blind woman who was unable to see this movement. "Ah, yeh, I am." She stammered. "My father was killed when I was three; demon attack. Same with my grandmother when I was five. And my mum…I guess it was all too much for her. She killed herself when I was nine."

"Hm." Pamela nodded, giving Andie the distinct impression she already knew this somehow. "So you've been alone awhile, huh?"

"Pretty much since then." Andie's mind wandered back, back in time. "They sent me to a foster home a couple of days after my mother died. I remember exactly what she looked like when I found her…she was on the floor of the bathroom…there was blood all around her. I thought she'd just fallen over." Andie fiddled with her wedding ring. "I don't remember the lady who took me to foster care…which I always thought was strange because I _do_ remember I couldn't let go of her hand."

"How long were you there?" Pamela asked.

"Almost…four years." Andie couldn't believe it had been that long, she remembered so little of her time there. "Demons started attacking the foster home…I quickly realized they were after me and I was putting all the other kids in danger. So one night, I left."

"Where'd you go?"

"The street." Andie sighed. "It wasn't so bad. Well, it was at first…but eventually I, um, figured out that it was safer to stay awake all night and sleep during the day. I was lucky. My power kept me safe. But it was lonely…when you live like that you'll do anything to survive..." Shockingly, tears began to well in her eyes. "Huh…I've never told anyone all of that before."

Pamela's lips curled into a small smile, she didn't look at Andie. Even though it made no difference, she sensed that it was easier for Andie to reveal these secrets and pretend like she was talking to herself. "Not even Dean?"

"Nope." Andie smiled, too. "The less he knows the better."

Pamela chuckled. "He loves you, y'know." She suddenly said out of the blue. "Very much. I could tell the second you walked into that room all those months ago."

Andie felt her lip quivering, but it didn't bother this time. Maybe because she knew Pamela couldn't physically see her emotions; maybe that's what made it okay to express them.

Pamela let out a sigh. "But you're both so friggin stubborn; I'm surprised you got back to some form of normality this fast." She giggled. "So where on earth did you meet Cassidy?"

"I followed a demon here when I was twenty," Andie brushed the tears from her eyes and cleared her throat, glad her voice didn't seem to be affected by her tears. "Met Cass in Daytona and found out she was a hunter, too. We've kinda been together ever since."

"She means a lot to you." Pamela stated.

"She means everything to me." Andie muttered, reminding herself why she'd walked Pamela all the way out here in the first place. "That's why I need your help. I need to save her."

"Like I said before, if I can dick an angel around I'll do it." Pamela grinned. "What do you need?"

**xxx**

In the meantime, Sam had a hunch. And Ruby was right behind him. He'd discovered that an angel's grace literally falling to earth could be explained as something else; such as a shooting star. Anna/Cassidy was able to tell him the general area in which she had fallen and it just so happened there had been a record of a shooting star on that same day in that region of Ohio.

Dean needed some air from all of this so he took a breather out with his Impala, resting back against the hood as he stared up at the sky. He was definitely contemplating; he just wasn't sure what. He didn't hear Anna/Cassidy creep up beside him and jumped a little when she spoke.

"It's beautiful." She said softly.

"Yeh," Dean agreed. He had something he wanted to ask her and now seemed as good a time as any. "Can I ask you something?" Anna nodded. "What do they want me for? Why did they save me?"

"I'm sorry. The angels aren't talking about it." She bit her lip. "And it was after I fell."

"That's another question. Why would you fall?" He really didn't understand her desire to be human; it had mostly brought him pain. "Why would you want to be one of us?"

"You don't mean that."

"I don't? A bunch of miserable bastards...Eating, crapping, confused, afraid." He scuffed his boot against the dirt.

"I don't know. There's also loyalty... Forgiveness... Love." She glanced at Dean. "Like you love your brother. Like you love her."

Dean scoffed a little. "Yeh…we're picture perfect." He let out a laughing breath and looked into the distance. "We've had our fair share of pain, too."

Anna watched him carefully, trying to sense inside his mind; inside his heart. He was closed off; but she was an angel. A wave of love radiated from him when he spoke of Andie; and it made her remember a favourite passage from the first _Corinthians_, the seventh book of the New Testament. "_Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails._" She laid a hand against Dean's smooth, cool fingers. "Every emotion, Dean, even the bad ones," She let out a contented sigh. "Are why I fell. Why...why I'd give anything not to have to go back. Anything."

"Feelings are overrated, if you ask me." He brushed her hand off his and folded his arms tightly over his chest; clear to make his discomfort obvious to her.

Anna looked at him intently for a few moments. "Long ago, men went off to war and out to sea and their women waited for them to return." She recited. "Times change. And now you wait for her, Dean. And you will wait for her, always. Terrified that she may one day go where you cannot follow." Dean looked over at her; her words engraving themselves inside his heart next to the feelings they expressed. "You would never leave her; even if she left you." Anna smiled. "And that is what I wish I could experience; it's what I hoped for when I fell."

"What if it doesn't last?" Dean ventured quietly, his voice low; half hoping Anna wouldn't hear him, half desperate for her to have an answer. "The apocalypse…everything that's going on…what if we don't make it out the other side?"

"Isn't it better to be extremely _happy_ with her for a short while, then just _okay_ for the rest of your life?" Anna smiled warmly, leaned in and kissed his cheek.

For a moment, Dean forgot she was Cassidy and saw the angel within her. The purity. The honesty. The bravery. All qualities he'd seen in Andie's eyes, too. His very own little angel. "Thanks, Anna." He muttered quietly, but happy enough for her to hear him this time. He rubbed her shoulder gently and then walked away feeling like a weight had been lifted from his heart. He saw things a lot clearer now.

With Anna's wise words spinning around his tired mind, Dean went in search of his wife. He found her in the kitchen fixing a cup of coffee. His feet didn't make a noise, but she turned to him before he'd come into the kitchen and smiled that radiating smile that lit up every corner of her face. "Hey, Morgan," Dean gently pulled her arm. "Pamela get home ok?"

"Yeh, I put her in the cab, she's fine." Andie replied. "Where you been?"

"Chatting with Anna." He replied. "We're gonna head out to Ohio, Anna says that's where she was when she ran into Cassidy. And apparently there was a meteorite that vanished in the night sky. If Sam's on the money-"

"Then that's her grace." Andie nodded along.

"Yeh, so we're gonna drive her out there to see if she can find it." He grabbed his coat and shrugged it on over his shoulders.

"Ah, if it's all the same to you, I think I'll stay here awhile."

Dean scanned her up and down. "You ok?"

"Yeah, it's just..." She frowned. "The looking-like-Cassidy-but-not-being-Cassidy thing is getting to me a little."

"Fair enough." He grinned. "Back soon."

He started to walk away, but Andie grabbed him by the collar of his leather jacket and pulled him back for a sweet, full kiss on the lips.

"Mmm." Dean moaned as she pulled away. "What was that for?"

"I need a reason, now?" She pecked his lips again. "Be safe. And call me when you get there."

"Yeah, yeah," Dean smiled and retreated out of the kitchen. She waited until she saw the Impala drive off out of Bobby's scrap yard, Sam and Anna/Cassidy within, before she put the next stage of her plan into motion.

She was going to need to move quickly and swiftly. Pamela had faith in her plan; which gave Andie a strange surge in her confidence. She wasn't sure what it made her feel; but it felt like something a mother would have said or something. Either way, she was going to need someone's help to save Cassidy; and it wasn't someone she was sure would be receptive, but they had no choice in the matter. Ruby would have to help her.

**xxx**


	31. Chapter 31: Never Leave Her

**Chapter 31**

_Never Leave Her_

In the dank basement of Bobby's home, Andie grabbed a piece of chalk and a stepladder and drew the symbol she knew all too well since she'd met the Winchesters. She scribbled it up on the roof just below the staircase and, even though it was white chalk, it was really hard to see in the dark lighting. When she was done, Andie discarded the chalk and leant back against the wall. "Ruby?!" She called out.

Ruby had been hovering upstairs when she heard Andie's calls. She made her way down to the basement calling her name, but she didn't hear any reply. She wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her; she could have sworn she'd heard Andie calling her name. "Hey, Andie?" She called. "Where are you?"

"Here." Andie called out. She was leaning against the wall behind the stairs.

"What did you want?" Ruby asked as she walked over to her. "If it's about the uber-angel-" She stopped in her tracks; but not of her own choosing. "Oh, come on." She cast her eyes up and saw a newly drawn Devil's Trap on the ceiling, binding her on the spot in an invisible jail. "What is this?"

Andie smirked. "Sorry. I had to make sure you wouldn't go running to Sam."

Ruby pouted. "Cute."

"I need your help."

"Yeah, I figured." Ruby folded her arms tightly across her chest.

"Look," Andie sighed. "I'm not staging a huge revolt against the angels here." She took a few steps closer to the demon; close enough to see that she was actually listening; not just humouring here. "I just wanna save Cassidy. And to do that, Anna needs a new host."

"Hope you're not expecting me to volunteer _my_ Jane Doe." She gestured down to her body.

"No, I need you to follow Anna when she leaves Cass's body; and then bring her back here so we can get her all hopped up on her grace again." Andie ordered.

"Wait, hold on a second here," Ruby unfolded her arms and held them up in front of her. "You're gonna do it? You're actually going to shoot your gal pal?"

Andie tried not to focus on that part of it. "It's the only way to save her."

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"This." Andie held out a piece of paper. On it was Pamela's sketch of a symbol Andie would have to draw in blood in order to summon Anna back to Bobby's house. By doing so, Sam and Dean would be so far away they wouldn't be able to stop her. "Pamela drew it for me. Once the boys get Anna to Ohio, I'm gonna summon her back here. Then when she's out of Cass's body, you're gonna follow her."

"Look, even if I did follow her, who knows if I can keep up with an angel?" Ruby pointed out. "I mean, I'm fast but maybe not that fast."

"You can keep up." Andie assured her.

"Well, you're faith in me is stirring; really." Ruby deadpanned.

"Ruby," Andie's voice grew more desperate. "I've never asked you for anything, I've never had to. Mainly because I think you're a lying demon whore," Ruby smiled at this. "But this is the first time I've needed you. So please; help me out."

"Or?"

"Or I tell the boys that you tried to kill me, leave you in this trap and then laugh my guts out while they slaughter you to pieces." Andie returned her smile.

Ruby laughed. "You sure know how to make a demon whore feel special, Andie."

**xxx**

It was in the centre of a field in Ohio farmland that Anna found the place where she'd fallen. There was a beautiful oak tree in the centre of the paddock with branches that seemed to reach on forever. Each leaf was perfect, each crack in the tree trunk looked ornamental and only added to its pure beauty. Anna, Dean and Sam were all in awe of the tree as they approached it.

"This is it..." Anna said as she stared up at the tree with a smile. "This is where my grace touched down." She ran towards the tree and pressed her hands against the Oak. "Oh, it's so beautiful..."

"Are you ready to do this?" Dean asked her as he craned his neck to check if he could see through the thick leaves; he couldn't.

"I...I can't..." Anna suddenly said; removing her hands from the tree trunk.

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked as he came up behind her. "Do you even know what we're looking for?"

"My grace made this tree...but it's not here..." Anna turned to Sam, sadness and disappointment clear in her eyes. "Someone took it."

"Took it?" Dean repeated. "Where?"

"Oh no..." Anna grasped her forehead. "Oh, the angels are talking again..."

Dean's eyes widened. "What are they saying?"

"It's like a recording...playing over and over again..." She closed her eyes and focused. "Dean Winchester brings us Anna by midnight or...we hurl him back to damnation."

"Fantastic." Dean grumbled rubbing at the forming migraine at his temple.

"Oh..." Anna stumbled a little and fell backwards into Sam. "Whoa..."

"Hey, you alright?" Sam asked her as steadied her to her feet.

"No, it feels like..." She grabbed at her middle. "Something's pulling me..." Her face grimaced in pain. "OH!!!!"

There was a blinding flash of white light that knocked both Dean and Sam off of their feet. Dean rose first, and immediately noticed that Anna was gone. "Anna?" He called out as he helped his brother up. "What the hell?"

"Where'd she go?"

Dean shook his head in response. And then something clicked in his mind. Of course she hadn't wanted to come with him...of course she wanted to walk Pamela out...of course she wanted to be alone. "Andie." That was all he had to say to Sam and they both knew it was true.

**xxx**

Blood dripping from the cut in her hand, Andie stood back and watched as a white light engulfed Bobby's panic room. Ruby stood by the door, twitching in anticipation and staring at the mark Andie had drawn in her own blood on the floor. She'd sliced her hand open over the same scar she shared with Cassidy; hoping that it might help aid in forming their connection again. There was a soft ringing noise that suddenly blasted loudly into Andie's ears as the room was engulfed in white light. Shielding her eyes but not wanting to look away, Andie was able to see Anna appear in the centre of the symbol.

"Wha...what's going on?" Anna asked, her terrified eyes darting from Andie to Cassidy to the symbol on the ground. "Why did you bring me back here?"

Slowly reaching for the back of her waistband, Andie felt her heart race and her breath quicken. "You know why."

"Andie." Anna shook her head back and forth.

"Let me speak to Cassidy." Andie commanded.

"I don't think-"

"LET ME SPEAK TO HER!!" Andie bellowed so loudly her voice bounced off the iron walls of the room.

Anna's chest was heaving in anxiety, her eyes wild and blazing, she dropped her head so her and was silently still for a few moments. With a gasp, her body fell to the floor coughing and breathing in deep, heavy breaths. She looked up at Andie; tears streaming down her face. "Andie."

"Cass?" Andie ventured, her fingers enclosing around the handle of the pistol sticking out of her jeans.

"Help me." Cass wheezed, so weak she couldn't even get up off her knees. "Puh—please," She started sobbing. "Andie," She pleaded. "Please do it."

Andie pulled the gun from her waistband and let it hang limp at her thigh. "I-I don't know if I...." Her voice didn't match her tough stance. Right now, she was terrified.

"Andie, you gotta get a move on here." Ruby called urgently from the doorway.

Everything seemed to slow down. Cassidy's stricken, sobbing face as she silently begged for her best friend to put an end to her suffering. Andie wasn't even sure if she was raising the gun until it entered her peripheral vision aiming up towards her friend. It was shaking; in fact Andie's whole body was trembling.

"Andie; shoot me, please!" Cassidy begged and sobbed. "I can't be stuck like this! _Please_!!!

"Cass, I can't!" Andie cried out and the gun fell back to her hip. "I'm sorry!"

"If you love me you'll do it, Andie!" She bellowed. "Shoot me!"

"I can't!"

"Dammit, Andie, _SHOOT ME_!"

Andie clenched her teeth and aimed the gun again, gripping the handle as hard as she could. She let out a load, guttural groan that turned into a scream from deep within her soul as her finger pulled back on the trigger. With a loud bang, she fired.

Again, a blinding white light exploded throughout the room. But this time, it came from within Cassidy's body and rose straight up like beacon through the roof of the house. Even with her eyes squinted closed, Andie felt the light burning against her skin. Only when her eyes stopped throbbing did she dare peer through her fingers and let her eyes fell on her friend's body. Cassidy was flat on her back, still within the symbol, with blood pouring from her middle creating a crimson circle around her. Andie's mouth was hanging open in disbelief and the gun slowly dropped down, falling from Andie's loosened fingers and hitting the ground with a thud. She turned over her shoulder and didn't see Ruby; silently she hoped the demon would be true to her word and follow Anna.

Her stomach in knots, Andie turned back to her friend. "Ca...Cass?" She ventured. Then all of a sudden, her friend's body lurched forward as she gasped.

"Oh!" Andie cried and sank to the ground. She slid on her knees over beside her friend, breaking through the blood red symbol, and gathering up Cassidy in her arms. "Cass?" She held her hand to the gaping hole in her abdomen and pressed against it hard. "Oh, God..." She felt the heat of the blood as it flowed from the wound and onto Andie's skin.

"Andie..." Cass managed to whisper as she started to shake. "I'm hurt..." She was so pale.

"Cass, just hang on." Andie felt tears burning her eyes as she held Cass tightly to her chest; her lips resting against her forehead. She fumbled around in her pocket for her cell phone and hurriedly hit 9-1-1. "I n-need an ambulance," She stammered, rambling off Bobby's address. "Please hurry!" She dropped her phone and wrapped her arms around Cass. "It's ok, Cass; you'll be ok, I promise." Softly, she heard Cassidy mumble something that she couldn't make out. "What?"

Cassidy smiled tearfully. "Th-thank you."

**xxx**

Ruby was right; she wasn't as fast as she thought she was. She managed to keep a good eye on Anna for the most part; losing her only briefly somewhere over Ohio. But when Ruby located her again, Anna had found herself a new host. A young, pale redhead with hallow cheeks and sparkling blue eyes. She was standing in an alleyway looking around as if she was unsure of her own body, flexing her arms and kicking out her legs and such. "Anna?"

"Hello again, Ruby." Anna smiled; but sadly.

Ruby sighed, with abject relief. "Never thought I'd be glad to see an angel."

"Is Cassidy alright?" She asked; genuine concern in her watery eyes.

"You better hope so," Ruby took her by the arm and set off with her. "Hell hath no fury like Andie Morgan scorned."

**xxx**

Dean sped the Impala into Bobby's place without ever bothering to slow down. Both Andie and Ruby's cell phones went straight to voicemail and Bobby's phones, all of them, were off the hook. Cursing himself for being so wrapped up in Anna's words he hadn't seen what Andie was planning, Dean curved into the junkyard and slammed the breaks. He was out of the car before the Impala was fully stationary. "Andie?!" He called out as he burst through the front door. "Andie!"

Sam rushed in behind his brother and swung left as Dean headed right. He almost smacked right into Ruby who was breathing heavily as if she'd just run a mile. "Ruby." Sam was relieved to see her, but that changed to confusion when he saw the redhead she was clinging to. "Who's that?"

"It's me; Anna." She smiled. "New body. Poor thing was homeless, glad for the reprieve."

"Dean!" Sam called over his shoulder. His brother jogged into the room and looked suspiciously at the redhead. "That's Anna – new body." Sam told him.

"Then where's Cassidy?" Dean asked Ruby before his mind grasped what must have happened. If Anna had a new host... "Where's Andie?" He amended his question, his voice coarse and angry as he focused his eyes on Ruby. "Where's Andie?!"

**xxx**

Andie held Cassidy's hand in her own as she ran to keep up with the gurney. The paramedics were communicating in medical jargon so quickly Andie couldn't keep up, but their urgent tones of voice terrified her. One male doctor, Andie couldn't see a nametag, took the lead from the medics and started ordering his staff around and asking for equipment as they directed the gurney into an empty room, he didn't even stop instructing while a nurse tied a medical mask around his mouth. Andie was right there the whole time, she never let go of Cass's hand.

"Andie..."

"It's ok, you'll be ok..." Andie tried to sound positive and confident but her voice shook.

"I'm c-cold..." She was shuddering.

Andie squeezed her hand again and looked desperately up at the doctor digging at her wound with his scalpels and gauze. There was sweat on his brow, he barked orders at the nurses around him but was so focused on his patient he never looked up.

Andie felt a lump form in her throat. "I'm sorry, Cass, I'm so sorry..." She tried to say.

"I a-asked you to d-do it..." Cass stammered. "Th-thank you for listening th-this time." She tried to smile but the pain was too agonising and she just let out another sob. "I ca-can't f-feel my legs..." Her breath started coming in gasps as her chest heaved. "Don't g-go." She begged her friend as her voice weakened.

"I won't." Andie promised.

Her mouth curled into an almost a smile; all she could muster, as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I lo-love y...." She tried to speak but her eyes drifted upwards and her expression went blank.

Then the heart monitor started flat lining and everyone in the room went into panic mode.

"Full arrest!" The doctor cried. "Paddles!" He screamed at a nurse who immediately handed him the instrument. "Charge to two hundred!" He rubbed the paddles together. "Clear!"

Andie let go of Cass's hand in time to see him press the paddles against her friends' chest. Her petite frame flailed at the shock and jerked upwards. It was horrifying. Andie covered her mouth with her hands and watched on in disbelief. She inhaled the iron scent of Cassidy's blood off her stained fingertips and closed her eyes; this wasn't happening. It couldn't be. Cassidy was strong; indestructible. This wouldn't be the end for her. Andie was confident in a few days she'd be fine. They'd be back to normal in no time.

"I told you I'd live, you idiot." Cass would laugh while trying to clamber over Andie's lap. "Take more than a bullet through the guts to kill me. Let's beer it up, shall we?"

"You ungrateful whore." Andie would reply.

"I'll shout you."

"Oh, you're so forgiven."

"Look, seriously for one second," Cassidy would mellow down a little, get that funny smile on her face that she did when she told the truth. "Thanks. I don't think anyone else would have that the balls to shoot me when I told them to. Not even Sam, and he's got some great bal-"

"Please stop." Andie would cut in, and then follow with as heartfelt a reply as she was comfortable with. "You're welcome. Sure as hell am glad you're still here."

That's how it would play out, Andie was sure of it. Cassidy would recover from this and in a few days they'd be laughing and giggling again...or fighting and teasing each other again. Either way, they would be back to normal. Everything was going to be alright.

But that didn't happen.

Because Cassidy never woke up.

The despairing tone of the heart monitor continued to echo around the room, but all the nurses and doctors stopped working and just stood still. The main doctor who had been so focused on Cassidy from the beginning looked up to Andie with a morbid glint in his eye. Slowly he pulled down his mask. "I'm so sorry..." He began.

"_Nooooo_!" Andie howled openly and fell forwards onto the bed. Cass's still-warm hand was firmly clutched within her own and she wasn't ever going to let it go. She cried so hard the tears from her eyes trickled onto her hands and sent blood stained streaks down her skin. Cass's eyes were still wide open; staring up at the light of the gurney. Andie's face was contorted in heartache as she placed her free hand on her friend's chest; praying for a heartbeat or deep breath. "Don't do this," She whispered through harsh intakes of air. "Don't you leave me here... don't leave me alone..." Her voice cracked and she sucked in another breath that exhaled in a broken wail of sadness.

"Miss-" The doctor started to say.

"Get out of here!" She glared up at him; her eyes piercing a murdering expression at him and every other person in the room. "All of you! _Go_!" She bellowed. One by one; the crew slowly exited the room and left Andie alone with her grief.

Leaning up on her elbows, Andie took one of her blood stained hands and rested it on Cass's forehead. She traced her fingers around her oldest friend's perfect jaw bone and twice broken chin (once by accident, once on a dare); the beautiful lines around her eyes and her still supple lips could have been mistaken for almost smiling. But her eyes were the giveaway that no soul dwelled within her body. Not anymore. The breathtaking sparkle that had entrapped so many in her time was gone; there was nothing but a glazed expression. A memory. Cassidy wasn't in there anymore. Andie climbed up onto the gurney and lay beside her friend still gripping hand tightly; swearing she could feel the burning sensation as their two identically scarred palms met for one final time.

**xxx**


	32. Chapter 32: Even Angels Fall

**Chapter 32**

_Even Angels Fall_

Two hours later and Andie was still there in Cassidy's room. The focused doctor, who Andie now knew as Dr. Edmund, came back into the room and told her she was more than welcome to stay with her friend; but to let him clean her up first. So Andie relented, for just a moment, detaching herself from Cassidy so Dr. Edmund could clean her up and remove the medical paraphernalia from her body.

As she watched her friend, Andie knew that even though her body was hollow, Cass's spirit was still in the room. She could feel it, there was warmth surrounding her, a distinct feeling that Cassidy was very close by. She still felt comforted by her friend's essence even though she was staring directly at her lifeless tomb of a body.

Her mind was a mess. Why did this keep happening? Why did everyone she cared about end up this way? What was so wrong with her that made this happen? She was cursed; she was being punished or something. What else could it be? Why else would she be staring at Cassidy's corpse unless she had something terribly wrong in her life?

**xxx**

_"I'm very sorry...but you're friend has died."_

The doctor's words rang in Sam's ears as he slid himself into one of the plastic hospital chairs in the empty hallway. It was very early morning; there weren't a lot of people around. But that didn't change the feelings breaking up inside Sam's body. He cared for Cassidy so deeply. They hadn't had a conventional relationship in the slightest; but the moments they had shared were ones Sam treasured. He often thought about her when he was with Ruby, missing her sweetness and kindness. Cass was one of the very few people who couldn't care less about Sam's past or future; she just lived in the moment and Sam willingly let himself be taken along for the ride. A single, solid tear slipped out of his pained, tired eyes as he thought of her smile; her beautiful smile. The smile she'd never give him again.

Dean finished talking with Dr. Edmund and made his way back to his brother. He felt like he was living in a dream; but Sam wasn't coping and he was positive Andie wouldn't be, either. Someone had to take charge and be the strong one. And it was him; the older brother, who would again fill that role.

"Hey, Sammy," Dean said in a low voice as he squatted down in front of his brother. "I'm so sorry." He clapped his hand against his shoulder and squeezed.

"Yeh..." Sam managed to say as he let out a deep breath. "Me, too..."

"The Doc said Andie's still down the hall with...her..." He couldn't bring himself to say her name. "I'm gonna go get her. Will you be ok?"

"Yeh, yeh," Sam coughed and leant forwards so his tears were shielded in the darkness of the dimly lit hallway. "Go get her."

"Okay; I'll be back soon." Dean squeezed his little brother's shoulder one more time and left him be as he made his way down the hallway to where the doctor had said Andie was still waiting.

He wasn't sure how he'd find her. After knowing her for two years, Dean still couldn't gauge her reactions. And Cass was all Andie had left in the world. Bickering or no bickering; they were like soul mates. Hell, thanks to those silly palm cuts they'd given themselves; their blood ran in each other's veins. Without Cassidy, Andie didn't have a safety net anymore. Dean half-expected not to see her waiting for him; thinking maybe she would just take off as she often did when things got too hard. But his mind went blank and he stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes fell on her.

Andie was sitting in a chair much like Sam, but all her limbs were limp and drooping around her. Blood stained her hands and most of her shirt over her torso; she even had a few dried streaks on her face. Her face... Dean had never seen her so heartbroken and so empty at the same time. It was like she was a blank slate; waiting for someone to draw an expression on her face. Her eyes, even in profile, Dean could tell they were puffy as they slowly opened and closed in exhaustion.

"Andie?" Dean called to her as he continued to walk in her direction. "We have to go, honey."

Andie was staring at something up ahead; her eyes locked into it. "I don't think I can go anywhere." She said quietly. Her voice, which Dean expected to sound shattered and audibly heartbroken, bore no trace of human emotion. It was monotonous; almost robotic.

Dean slouched into the plastic chair beside her and saw what his wife had been staring at. They were outside Cassidy's emergency room; the young woman's body had been covered up to the neck but her face was still visible through the windowed doors where Andie sat just outside. Her eyes never left her friend's face; it was as though they were stuck. Dean's breath caught in his throat when he saw Cass. She was always so vibrant; so bubbly and you could never shut her up. This shell of her seemed almost insulting to the soul it had once housed. An angered ball of sadness formed in the centre of Dean's chest. Another hunter lost. Another _friend_ lost.

He glanced sideways at Andie. To her, Cass wasn't a hunter. She was a friend; she was a sister. Family. He reached out and slipped his hand within hers. She let him; but didn't make any attempt to squeeze his back. Together, they sat there staring at her body until a mortician arrived asking what they wanted to do with her.

"I can recommend a lovely funeral home." The mortician offered in the customary, fake "_I'm so sorry_" tone of voice they often used.

"You're not touching her." Andie growled at him, her hand flexing in anger within Dean's palm.

Dean sensed her anger and, worried about what she might do, jumped up and pulled the mortician aside, noting his nametag read _Stan_. "Listen, Stan, how long can she stay here?" He nodded his head into Cass's room.

"Well, we can keep unclaimed bodies in the morgue for up to six months," He answered. "But, well, she's not exactly a Jane Doe."

"I know, I just...we need some time to contact her family and, uh, decide what they want to do." Dean vamped.

"I understand." Stan nodded. "I can make the arrangements and have her brought to my morgue, we'll treat her with great respect." He took a business card from his pocket and handed it to Dean. "Call me when you know what you wish to do." He made to go into Cass's room but Dean pulled him back.

"Look, this is really hard for her," He nodded discreetly back at Andie. "Can you wait until I get her out of here before you move Cass? It'd make things a lot easier."

"Oh," Stan glanced down at Andie. "Sure, of course. Sorry. I'll come back, ah, later..." With that, he retreated back down the hallway.

Sighing, Dean knelt down in front of Andie, obscuring her view of Cass's body. Her eyes moved for the first time and she looked at him. "I'm gonna take you home now, okay, sweetheart?" He told her gently, resting his hands on her knees. Her eyes watered, but she didn't cry. Her mouth opened, but she didn't speak. All Andie managed to do was nod her head up and down. Dean took her hand again, and this time felt her fingers grip him back as he pulled her to her feet.

Almost immediately, her knees buckled and she fell, gripping Dean around the waist just before her knees smacked against the tiles. He could feel her body trembling as he caught her shoulders and lifted her back up. "It's okay." He whispered as he scooped her up in his arms; her hands could barely link around his neck and just rested against his chest as he carried her away.

**xxx**

He carried her from the car into Bobby's house and into the spare bedroom downstairs that Bobby used mainly to store boxes of books, but it did have a comfy double bed pressed against the wall. Dean carefully laid Andie down on the mattress and knelt down beside the bed frame. She was obviously tired; but forcing herself to stay awake. "Try to get some sleep, Andie." He said in a low voice as he brushed stray hairs off her forehead, noticing how washed out and pale her skin was. "I'll just be outside; holler if you need me." He pressed a kiss against her forehead as he rose to his feet.

"Dean...?" Her weakened voice called to him.

"Yeh?" He turned at the doorway.

Andie hadn't moved, and she didn't look like she was even seeing him; unfocused. But her words... they were focused. "She really died, didn't she."

There was the faintest trace of hope in her voice; and it shattered Dean's heart when he detected it. He wished he could tell her different, that it was all a dream, that she'd wake up and Cass would be alive and waiting for her. But he couldn't lie to her. "Yeh, sweetheart," He said sorrowfully. "She did." He watched as she finally closed her eyes, and then he clicked off the light and left her alone to, hopefully, sleep peacefully.

He took a few deep breaths in the hallway before he ventured into the kitchen to find Sam filling two glasses with whiskey. "She asleep?" Sam asked when he saw his brother.

"Or passed out." Dean replied as he sank into the chair opposite him, realizing all of a sudden that he was exhausted, too. "Where's Ruby and Anna?"

"Anna's sleeping upstairs." Sam answered as he poured them both a drink. "And Ruby...I dunno."

Dean was too tired to even come up with a taunt. He just took the glass Sam offered him and raised it to the air as his brother mimicked his motion. "To Cassidy."

"To Cassidy." Sam nodded and clinked his glass against Dean's. Then they both drank down their whiskey in one mouthful. Before he'd even swallowed, Sam was pouring them each other drink.

The brothers finished that bottle within a few more drinks and made it halfway through a second before they both fell asleep with their heads on the kitchen table.

**xxx**

When Andie awoke a few hours later, she wasn't alone in her room. Perched in the corner was Castiel, standing there in his tan trench coat with excellent posture, as always. Only this time, his normally stoic face showed hints of pity and sadness. "I am sorry about your friend." He spoke gently, his voice grave with concern.

It took Andie's mind a few moments to register where she was. The last thing she remembered was firing that gun. She recognized the musky, mothball scent that seemed to coat every wall of Bobby's house. Her head ached, throbbing in agony from lack of sleep and food, and way too much crying. All her muscles felt weak and there was a pain in her chest that she couldn't identify. "What are you doing here?" Her voice croaked out like she'd swallowed gravel. She coughed to clear her throat. "Where's your buddy?" That sounded better. Strained, but better.

"Uriel is occupied." Castiel replied. "And I am here for you."

"What does that mean?" Andie sat herself up on the bed, letting her dizzy head get used to being upright.

"Cassidy's death was unavoidable." He said plainly and, as always, with no emotion.

The pain in Andie's chest stabbed her even deeper. She hung her head and then shot him a dark look. "Because one of _you_ decided to use her as a hideout." She rose unsteadily to her feet. The evening light shone through the window casting shadows over Castiel's face, she could still clearly see what she refused to believe; pity in the angels' eyes.

Castiel continued to lecture her. "It's not right for you to blame yourself."

"I don't." Andie flicked her blazing eyes up to him. "I blame you." With an upwards jerk of her chin she channelled her power through her body and sent Castiel flying forcefully against the wall so hard he splintered the panelling. "It's your fault." She said as she strode towards him. "You angels...possessing _humans_...you're no better than demons." As Castiel attempted to rise to his feet, Andie held her palm up to him and used her power to press his body back against the wall, so he was under her control. "Anna ate through Cass's body like cancer ... how the hell was she supposed to fight it?"

"She was a vessel." Castiel replied, struggling to get to his feet. "A vital stage in this war-"

His mention of the 'war' sent a raging anger up Andie's spine and exploding through her veins; she reached down and clutched Castiel by the collar of his trench coat. "It was _NOT_ her war!" She screamed into his face.

"She was a hunter." Castiel replied matter-of-factly. "She sacrificed herself for the greater good."

Andie sneered and punched him heavily in the jaw; it was like punching solid brick. Castiel didn't seem affected by it in the slightest. "Don't you talk about her that way!" Andie bellowed lifting him and slamming him back against the wall, splitting the panels even more. "Don't talk about her like you know who she was!"

Castiel gripped Andie's wrists tightly and easily pulled her off his collar. She was tired, weakened. He regained control of her with ease.

"You didn't know her!" She sent a heavy kick of the knee straight into his crotch. Angel or no angel; he buckled like a bitch. Andie took the chance and grabbed the back collar of his trench coat. She used her anger as well as her power to slide him the length of the room until he collided heavily with the bureau and shattered it to debris. "You don't know who she was! You'll never know!"

The commotion having awoken them from their drunken slumber, Dean and Sam burst into the room. Dean spotted Castiel first; the angel was getting shakily to his feet and started to raise his hand to Andie. Knowing that definitely wasn't a good sign, Dean bolted for him whilst shouting to his brother to get Andie the hell out of there.

"You don't know her!" Andie screamed tearfully as Sam yanked her off her feet and whisked her out of the room.

"Cas, don't!" Dean swiped the angels hand down as he made sure Sam had Andie out of the room. "Never do that again!" He yelled.

"She was being unreasonable." Castiel answered, straightening his tie and collar.

"Her best friend just died because of one of you angels!" Dean spat into his face. "Have some heart! She's so pissed right now, you're lucky she didn't snap your neck!"

"I wasn't going to hurt her. I was going to subdue her." Castiel tilted his head and gave Dean a serious look; one that made him listen. "Do not make the mistake of thinking I don't understand heartache."

**xxx**

Sam struggled with Andie all the way outside until he finally relented and set her squirming body down near the Impala. Partly due to him still feeling the effects of the whiskey and partly because Andie's body was so limp she could barely grip Sam tightly enough to shove him.

"Get _off_ me!" She growled, successfully shoving Sam away once he set her down.

The pair stood before each other in a stand-off. Sam held his hands up, the matador, as Andie prepared to let loose on him like a bull seeing red.

"It's _their_ fault!" Andie cried as she paced back and forth. "The angels, it's _all_ their fault!" She waved her hand at the house but ended up accidentally using her power to tip over a stack of detached car parts piled on the porch, scattering them across the lawn.

Sam kept his hands up, just in case. "I know." He tried to say soothingly, he didn't want to end up on the other side of the lawn.

Visibly seething with rage, Andie could barely stand still, she wanted to hurt something, someone. Anyone. She wanted someone to feel as badly as she did; she wanted to do something that would _make_ _them feel_ what they had done to her. This was it; this was the last straw that was breaking her back. Her back and her heart. She couldn't take it anymore. She balled her fists, turned and threw them out at her sides. This surge of power spurned through anger sent piles of beat-up cars from her left and right crashing loudly to the ground. Even in the wake of the release, Andie didn't feel better. She felt worse.

"You don't think I know how you feel?" Sam found himself admitting. "You don't think I know how bad it feels to lose someone you love? There's a hole in your heart; I know exactly how that feels!"

"You don't know!" Andie screamed, having to stand on her tiptoes to get in his face.

"Of course I kn-"

"No you don't!" Andie roared and shoved him in the chest; her strength seemingly coming back all at once. "You didn't kill her!" She cried. "I killed Cassidy! I fired the gun! I'm the reason she's dead!

Stung by her words, it took Sam a moment to try and subdue her. "That's not tr-"

"Don't you _dare_ tell me it's not true because you know that it is!" She shoved him again, harder this time, and he stumbled backwards.

"Fine!" Sam shouted, regaining his stance. "Then hit me!" She looked confused. "You're so angry Andie, so hit me; let me have it!" He held his arms wide out at his sides in defeat.

An ugly sneer tweaked at Andie's lips and she lunged for Sam, snatching his shirt up in her balled fists and trying to shake him...but suddenly she was weak again. The surge of energy she had felt ebbed away by the second and her body seemed to remember that it hadn't slept more than a couple of hours in two days and had expelled so much emotion that it had nothing left to give. Even her anger was tiring. Her tears, however, freshly perched themselves on the crests of her eyelids, waiting. Her breath caught in her throat as she prepared to snarl some insulting retort in Sam's direction, but that wasn't what she ended up saying.

"We were supposed to die on the same day." She whispered.

That was the cue for her tears to fall, but simultaneously and out of Andie's control, her knees buckled. Sam's arms caught her shoulders and he pulled her against his body. To his surprise, she let go of his shirt and slid her arms around his middle, hugging him. In the time he'd known her he could count the number of times he'd hugged Andie on one hand. But this was different. He couldn't fathom what was racing through Andie's mind. Another death of someone she loved...how much more could she take? She needed comfort; support. She needed love; even brotherly love. Sam wrapped his strong arms around Andie's back and encased her against his warm body. Her sobs were muffled as she cried into his chest and her body shook with each breath she took.

Sam held her close until she cried herself into an exhausted daze where she couldn't walk anymore. So he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back inside. In the mere seconds it took to move indoors, she had fallen asleep.

It was still an hour or so from sunrise by the time Sam left Andie alone. He met Dean in the hall and briefly explained what had happened outside; then said he was going to try and sleep on Bobby's couch for awhile. Dean thought it sounded like a good idea, too, but he wanted to check on Andie first.

He thought she was asleep when he sat down on the bed beside her. She had her back to him and was breathing slowly, but evenly. Dean reached his hand out and stroked the back of her head. "Have a good sleep, sweetie." He whispered and rose from the bed.

"Don't go." Her voice squeaked.

Sighing with a smile, Dean kicked off his shoes and pulled off his collared shirt and climbed onto the bed next to her in just his white tee and jeans. He had planned just to spoon her, but she had other ideas and turned to face him when he lay down and had leant up on his elbow. "How are you?" he asked, genuinely concerned about her.

She was close enough to him that she could rest her head against his bicep. She didn't look him in the eyes, but she rested her hand against his strong, warm chest. "I dunno." She said quietly. "It's like...it doesn't feel real."

He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead gently. "I know." Her skin was hot; heated from all the boiling anger and tears it had released in such a short space of time. Andie's hand started to travel down Dean's chest; and that made him think maybe that wasn't all that was heating her skin. "What are you doing?"

Andie lifted herself up onto Dean's body and straddled him. She didn't smile. She didn't try to look sexy or do anything cute like she normally would. "I need you." She said, her voice bleak and so stained with sadness she could barely keep it from shaking.

He knew what she wanted; he wasn't an idiot. He could also see how vulnerable and weak she was right now; but sex had nothing to do with that. She didn't want him to take advantage of her; she wanted him to love her. Because right now; she had never felt more rejected by the world. So when Andie lifted her arms up over her head, Dean didn't hesitate in slowly removing her shirt and tossing it to the ground.

She did the same for him and then looped her arms around his neck; kissing him deeply as tears slipped down her cheeks. She held herself tightly against him as she felt him unhook her bra and run his strong hands over her soft back.

It didn't take long for them to be completely _sans _clothing and holding each other underneath the blanket. Dean held Andie's hand firmly in his own as he kissed her neck from on top of her, tracing the kisses across her jaw line and pressing his loving lips against her wilful mouth.

The pair had been together like this many times before. The loved each other; they were _in_ love. It was a normal part of their life. Not always romantic, not always memorable, but sex for the two of them was always the height of enjoyment. A thrill that didn't seem to ebb away, but this was different. This was the first time that Dean had made love to Andie.

**xxx**


	33. Chapter 33: Battle Stations

**Chapter 33**

_Battle Stations_

Dean got dressed quickly and left Andie to sleep. She was too light of a sleeper to stay slumbering for too long so he wanted to give her as much rest as possible. He could run on low sleep; but she couldn't. Not in her state. Instead; he went for a walk. He couldn't find Sam or Anna or even Ruby, so he wandered outside.

It was quiet, too quiet, everything was still and motionless; even the trees. There didn't even seem to be night insects chirping their song into the evening. Nothing. He made his way into one of Bobby's sheds and was surprised to find that it was empty. At least, that's what he thought.

"Look at that." Uriel's demeaning voice said as he appeared in front of Dean wearing a charcoal black suit. "It's so cute when monkeys wear clothes."

Dean rolled his eyes. The protection spell over Anna was keeping Bobby's house of Angel radar, so this could only be happening in his subconscious. "I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

"It's the only way we could chat." Uriel confirmed. "Since you're hiding like cowards."

"Don't normally see you off leash." Dean smirked. "Where's your boss?"

"Castiel? Oh, he, uh... He's not here." Uriel grinned aggressively. "See, he has this weakness. He likes you." He tapped his finger against his wrist. "Time's up, boy. We want the girl."

"Wouldn't try that if I were you." Dean warned, trying to think up a way they could buy some more time. "See, she got her grace back. Full-blown angel now." A lie; best he could come up with on the spot.

Uriel smiled a little too happily. "That would be a neat trick, considering..." He pulled a necklace out from inside his shirt. It had a glowing trinket on the end. "I have her grace right here. We can't let hell get their hooks into her."

"Well," Dean folded his arms. "Then why don't you just give her back her angel juice?"

"She committed a serious crime." Uriel pointed out. "She's not even technically human. It's your last chance. Give us the girl, or –"

"Or what?" Dean cut in. "What, you're gonna toss me back in the hole?" He scoffed. "You're bluffing."

His smarmy grin was replaced with a very serious expression. "This is a whole lot bigger than the plans we got for you, Dean. You can be replaced."

Maybe it was the way he looked or the way he said it; but Dean believed him. And he considered the option. Give up Anna and let the whole world end, lose Sam, Bobby and Andie; the only people he cared about in the whole world. Or, go back down to the pit. If he did that, Sam would find a way to fix this. "What the hell? Go ahead and do it."

Uriel narrowed his eyes and took a few steps closer to Dean. "You're just crazy enough to go, aren't you?" He muttered.

"What can I say? I don't break easy."

"Oh, yes..." Uriel started to circle him. "You do." He stood behind him. "You just got to know where to apply the right pressure."

"Huh…" Dean turned around slowly. "What, you gonna try and beat the crap outta me? I would _love _to see that."

Uriel laughed. "Not you." He seemed almost insulted at the idea. "Your lovely wife."

Dean flinched. "You touch her and I swear I'll-

"Tell me," Uriel interrupted, enjoying the effect his threat was having. "How much more pain do you think she can handle since the death of her gal pal? Because me?" He grinned. "I am just _itching_ to find out just how dark she can go…"

**xxx**

When Andie woke up, she found herself alone in the room. Fitting considering the emptiness she felt within her body. It was like a lump of stone was just sitting below her breast bone; aching with every breath she took. Maybe it was grief. Or loss. Or guilt. Maybe a combination of all three. Whatever it was; she hated it and wanted it gone.

Someone, she assumed Dean, had brought her bag into the room so she grabbed some clean clothes and ducked into the shower. It didn't matter how much she wished the warm water would wash away the horrible feelings inside of her; nothing was diminishing the pain in Andie's heart. Nothing would. The only thing she wanted was Cassidy.

Andie pulled her wet hair back into a tight bun and pulled her greying pair of blue jeans on as well as a faded amber t-shirt with _The Beatles_ sprawled across the chest. Trying to ignore the fact that it had been Cass who gave her this shirt, Andie gathered up her stuff and padded out of the bathroom in bare feet. After tossing her clothes onto her shoulder bag, she went in search of someone, anyone, to help her. She didn't know how to bring Cassidy back; but she knew of one person who could. Well, angel, at least. He'd done it before, he could do it again.

She didn't expect to find Dean sitting at the table drinking from a half-empty bottle of mediocre scotch. "Dean?"

"Hey," He set down the bottle and tilted his head towards her. "Hey, baby, how you doin'?"

"Fine." She replied stiffly. "I just need you to do something for me."

"Sure."

"Call Castiel."

Dean looked at his hands let out a small laugh. "You know, I love when you ask me to do something I've already done." He muttered.

Andie didn't get a question his cryptic answer before Sam and Anna came into the room. Andie immediately bristled at the sight of the angel. Even if she no longer wore Cassidy as a host; the redhead she'd taken hold of now was still the same angel that had infected her best friend's mind, body and soul.

"Little early for that, isn't it?" Anna commented on Dean's choice of drink.

"It's 2:00 a.m. somewhere." Dean reasoned.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, of course." Dean smiled at her.

With an earsplitting crack that shocked all of them; the front door blasted open sending splintered pieces of wood across the room. Andie and Dean ducked behind the counter while Sam shielded Anna with his body while the dust cleared. Castiel and Uriel stood in the doorway.

Castiel immediately turned to the redhead. "Hello Anna," He said. "It's good to see you."

Sam was in shocked. "How? How did you find us?" He looked to Andie, who appeared equally as surprised, and then to his brother; whose expression hadn't changed. "Dean?"

"I'm sorry."

"Why?" Sam asked, very accusatory.

"Because they gave him a choice." Anna answered for him. "They either kill me... or kill her." She smiled sadly at Andie. "I know how their minds work." Taking everyone completely by surprise, Anna walked up to Andie and wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm sorry for what I did to Cassidy." She whispered in her ear. "And I will make it up to you; I promise." She kissed Andie's cheek and then turned to face her fellow angels.

Andie was so surprised and put off by this show of emotion and friendship that she was frozen to the spot. Her fists were balled tightly at her sides and she only realized how tense she was when she breathed out and her shoulders relaxed.

"Ok," Anna said strongly to Uriel and Castiel. "No more tricks. No more running." She let out a deep breath. "I'm ready."

"I'm sorry." Castiel apologized to her; sounding very genuine.

"No. you're not." Anna told him. "Not really. You don't know the feeling."

"Still, we have a history. It's just –

"Orders are orders." Anna cut in. "I know. Just make it quick." She closed her eyes and awaited the impact.

"Don't you touch a hair on that poor girl's head."

Andie, Sam and Dean all whipped around to see Ruby, bleeding from a gash to her gut, being held up by two other demons. And in front of them, was a demon Andie knew as Alistair. Dean wouldn't tell her much about him; but she knew he was someone Dean had met in Hell. And he was one bad-ass mofo. He took more joy in torturing and teasing his victims than most demons Andie had seen. And, judging by Ruby's current state, he also enjoyed torturing demons.

"How dare you come in this room...you pussing sore!" Uriel sneered.

"Name-calling. That hurt my feelings," Alistair put on a wounded-puppy face and shoved Ruby to the floor. "You sanctimonious, fanatical prick."

"Turn around and walk away now." Castiel warned.

"Sure. Just give us the girl." Alistair snickered. "We'll make sure she gets punished good and proper."

"You know who we are and what we will do." Castiel's voice was rigid but firm and commanding. "I won't say it again. Leave now...or we lay you to waste."

A glimmer of excitement seemed too rippled across Alistair's face. "Think I'll take my chances."

With that, Uriel grabbed one of the demons and pushed him back hard against the wall. Castiel punched Alistair twice in the jaw with no result, and then pressed his palm against the demon's forehead to exorcise him; but nothing happened.

"Sorry, kiddo." Alistair grinned evilly. "Why don't you go run to daddy?" He flung Castiel's arms off him and tripped him to the floor.

Uriel smacked the demon he was attacking in the gut, and then pressed his palm against his head to exorcise him. Unlike Castiel, this time it worked. The demon screamed in agony as the demonic smoke was purged from his body.

Alistair picked Castiel up by the throat. "Potestas inferna, me confirma." He began to chant. "Potestas inferna, me confirma." He smiled as Castiel started to wane under his power. "Potestas inferma, me confir-!"

Dean cracked Alistair up under the chin with a crowbar before he could finish his exorcism.

"Dean, Dean, Dean..." He tutted as shook his head and looked from Dean, to Sam, to Andie. "I am so disappointed. You had such promise."

Andie overheard this, but was distracted as another demon grabbed her from behind and pressed his forearm against her neck. He lifted her off her feet, making her gasp, but Andie kicked her legs back against the demon and he buckled the ground. He lost his grip on her and Andie sprang to her feet, sending another kick deep into the demon's chest. He stayed down long enough for Andie to see Anna snatch her grace from Uriel's neck and smash it to pieces on the ground.

"NO!" Uriel roared.

"Shut your eyes!" Anna begged Andie. "Shut your eyes!"

A brilliant white light burst from the broken necklace as Anna's grace was released back into her body. The light engulfed the whole room, vanquishing all the demons – including Alistair – with it. All that was left behind was Ruby's silver knife, gleaming on the floor where Alistair had been standing over Dean. When the light finally cleared, all of the angels were missing, too. Andie uncovered her eyes and was gasping as she locked eyes with Dean, who was also breathing deeply, her mind going over what had just happened. Sam rose first and met Ruby as she stumbled over to them.

Sam helped Ruby to her feet. "You okay?"

"Not so much." She winced.

"What took you so long to get here?" Dean complained as he got to his feet.

"Sorry I'm late with the demon delivery." Ruby whined. "I was only being tortured."

"I got to hand it to you, Sammy. Bringing them all together all at once -- angels and demons." Dean nodded in approval. "It was a damn good plan."

"Wish I'd been included…" Andie grumbled as she joined them. "Would've liked to be in on this little hell raising."

"Yeah, well, when you got Godzilla and Mothra on your ass, best to get out of their way and let them fight." Sam quipped.

"Yeah, now you're just bragging." Dean muttered.

"So, I guess she's some big-time angel now, huh?" Sam smiled. "She must be happy; wherever she is."

"I doubt it." Dean muttered.

Suddenly, the whole room began to shudder with a familiar quake. "Oh, Hell." Dean braced himself. "More angels?"

"No; just one." A syrupy, sweet voice sang as a beautiful woman walked through the door into the room. She seemed to be in her fifties or sixties, but had a youthful glow that beamed through her eyes and breathtaking smile. Her hair was short and curled up just under her chin. She wore a beautiful navy blue dress with golden trim and pearl earrings. Minus the halo; she was exactly what one would have pictured an angel to be. She appeared older than Castiel and Uriel; but her face was still vibrant and exuded a vivacious youth. "Oh, my, this is one dark, depressing place, isn't it?" She glanced around the room.

"Who are you?" Sam inquired.

"Don't be afraid. Anna sent me to you." She smiled at Andie; and her grin sent a wave of warmth throughout the room. But that wasn't what stunned Andie the most. That wasn't what made her breath quicken, her heart race, and make her grasp desperately onto Dean's hand.

"Hello, my darling," She said to Andie, her voice even _sounded_ heavenly.

"Oh my God..." Andie breathed.

Dean looked to his wife for the first time and saw the amazement in her eyes. "Andie, who is she?"

"My Grandmother."

**xxx**


	34. Chapter 34: Answer Me

**Chapter 34**

_Answer Me_

Andie stared in abject shock at her grandmother, Ellie, not sure that it could be true. She hadn't seen this woman in over twenty years since she'd died when Andie was just a child, and she only had a couple of pictures of her. It was amazing how much she still looked like the woman in those photographs.

"Ok, wait a minute, angels are possessing dead people now?" Dean questioned, remembering Castiel saying the body he was 'driving' had prayed for this angelic destiny.

"I beg your pardon, Dean, but I'm not dead." Ellie told him in a very grandmotherly voice. "I'm an angel."

Sam looked puzzled. "But I thought angels were supposed to be...you know...ancient..."

She laughed, it sounded like church bells chiming. "Angels are Chosen all the time. I'm technically still a rookie."

"So you were made an angel after you died?" Ruby guessed.

"No. I was born an angel." Ellie smiled. "It's rare; _very_ rare, for a human to deliver an angel child. But there I was. Of course, it wasn't until I died that I realized _what_ I was. I just thought I was telekinetic. And I didn't technically die; that's just what was...I guess you could say it was a cover up."

"But, ah," Andie spoke for the first time and had to clear her throat twice to get her voice sounding right. "You-you had heart attack. You died in a car accident."

"Yes, well, apparently God has horrendous timing." She gave a wry grin. "He yanked me and my grace right out of that car; how else could they explain a woman disappearing into thin air? My truck smashed into a tree, if I remember the story correctly," She furrowed her brow. "Incinerated. The final cause of death was ruled to be that I had a heart attack at the wheel and veered off the road." She smiled at the brothers. "I'm just thankful I didn't take any innocent souls with me."

"Ok," Ruby clapped her hands together. "I've had just about enough angel chatter for today." She backed out of the room. "See you on the flip side." With one last crooked smile to Sam, she left.

"You got to keep your original body?" Dean asked Ellie as Ruby disappeared.

"That's one of the perks of being a newbie." She replied gracefully.

"Wait, wait a second..." Andie let go of Dean's hand, she just had to have silence for a minutes. "Are you telling me that your telekinetic power comes from you being an angel?"

"Yes, my love." She smiled brightly.

"But then..." Andie shook her head and her Grandmother let out a soft laugh. "That would mean...that I'm..." She patted her chest as terrified tears welled in her eyes, realization setting in about what she was. "I'm..."

"An angel." Ellie nodded. "Well, half-angel." She waved a hand at her. "Just like your mother." She took a few steps towards her, but Andie took a few steps back. "Andie, you share many of the same gifts as Castiel...can't you see it? The telekinesis, the ability to sense where people and places are, and, the biggie, the fact that you can't die." She clasped her hands proudly at her chest and sighed. "Of course you don't possess all the traits; the speedy travelling, you're off angel radar, and you don't have an 'in' with the Big Guy."

Andie's head was swimming; all the pieces were clicking into place in her mind. She was half-angel. That's why she could do the things that she did. That's why she was so indestructible; she had angel DNA. The tears blurred her vision as she tried to make sense of all of this. The fact was, it _didn't_ make sense. How could she go through almost thirty years of life not knowing the truth? Didn't Castiel know? Couldn't someone have clued her in instead of letting her think she was a freak?

"I know what you must be thinking, Andie," Ellie began.

Andie scoffed a laugh through her building rage. "You couldn't possibly...

"And I know how bizarre all of this must appear. But really, with everything that you've seen..." Ellie didn't get to finish the sentence before Andie stormed out of the room positively red with anger. She let out a sigh and turned to face the Winchester boys. "The Morgan temperament...unfortunately something that's been passed on."

Sam gave her a wry smile. At first glance; he liked her. She wasn't hesitant to approach him like Castiel had been; maybe she didn't know about his demon side...or if she did; maybe it didn't bother her.

"So, Dean..." Ellie rested her delicate hands on his shoulders. "You are my grandson-in-law, correct?"

"That would be me." Dean grinned.

"Well," She took his chin in her fingertips. "You are a cute one." She gave a triumphant laugh. "Another thing the Morgan women do well." She winked and turned to Sam. "And you, well," She patted his shoulder. "You might be even more handsome...good thing the demon blood hasn't affected you physically yet." The smile vanished from Sam's face. "Don't worry dear; I don't like what you're doing but I'm not going to hold it against you. I'm still more human than angel in a lot of ways."

Dean cast a sideways look at his brother. "I'm gonna go check on Andie," He muttered. Ellie nodded at him; silently agreeing that it was a good idea, but she didn't make a move to follow.

Not sure where he would find her, Dean first looked for Andie inside but discovered nothing. So he headed outside, preparing himself for one heck of a search, but it turned out that he didn't need to. Andie was sitting cross-legged on the cement path across from the house. She was staring at the shack with a mix of confusion, anger and grief across her face.

"How are you?" Dean asked as he approached; knowing the question was useless but feeling like he had to say _something_.

"Brilliant." She deadpanned, not changing her position or expression.

"Look," He sat himself beside her and adopted a similar pose. "I know this has to suck for you right now..." He started. "But, come on...it could be worse..."

Andie held her head in her hands and laughed hysterically. "Oh, I don't know, Dean. My best friend is dead and the angel who killed her sent me my dead grandmother as some sort of peace offering, I'd say that's a pretty sucky hand to be dealt."

Tilting his head towards her, he said "Andie...there is so much crap in what we do."

"Yeh, you're telling-

"Look at me!" He grasped her head firmly in his hands and made her look at him. "You have had the worst couple of days here, alright? Cassidy's gone. And you've gotta be feeling so alone right now. But your grandmother is right inside that house. You think you've lost everyone; but she's right _inside_. She's here. She's real." He gently stroked her cheek. "Stop taking everything as a hit." He paused. "Take something as a gift."

A year ago; she wouldn't have listened to him. She was likely to have shoved him, sworn at him, stormed off or just ignored him; or any combination of the four. She didn't know if it was everything weighing down on her or the fact that she just didn't have the energy to argue with him, silent and contemplative, she slowly got to her feet and made her way back into the house.

Feeling his heart swell proudly as he watched her; Dean then quickly felt guilty. Cassidy had just died and he was proud of Andie for her own personal achievement. The smile quickly faded from Dean's face as he succumbed to the realization that she was so blank, so empty, that the prospect of sitting still and doing nothing would leave her only to wallow in her grief.

Dean cast his eyes up to the sky more out of habit than for any divine reason; and ironically his made him think back to his time in Hell...what he'd done. Andie wanted to know what it had been like; but with everything that happened to Cassidy, he didn't want to tell her. He could only avoid her for so long; she was good at pestering him.

"Alright...so, I'm here." Andie folded her arms and leant against the closed door.

"You know, I never thought of you as someone who'd listen to a man." Ellie smiled. "But then, I used to think of myself the same way. And then I met your grandfather. You wouldn't remember him. Teddy..." She smiled fondly at his memory. "He changed my life. He was a postman, delivered a parcel to our home but it was the wrong address. But something about him..." She smiled again, sadly this time. "He had a bad heart, too. Gave out one breakfast when your mother was young." Ellie looked at her granddaughter and let out a breath. "Oh, you look so like her right now..."

Andie was scowling, arms folded, with one foot up and resting back on the door. She could feel her brow narrowed into a glower as she watched her grandmother. She didn't know what she was trying to do; what she was here for.

"However, I don't believe it was like that with you and Dean..." She smiled. "Sam – oh, he had a phone call to make by the way; something about a fellow named Bobby--called it a hate-turned-love relationship." She smiled. "My parents were like that. Still," She sighed. "It is funny how one's feelings towards men as a gender change when we meet the right one."

"Why are you here?" Andie said curtly. "Why did Anna send you?"

"Well, she does have some pull up there." Ellie cast her eyes skyward. "And she was devastated over the pain she caused you over Cassidy's death." She drew her hands to her chest and bowed her head. "You have my sympathies for her as well, Andie. She was a sister to you; I know that. She took care of you like family."

"She was all I had." Andie agreed, but it came out like an insult and Elle took it that way.

"I know you're angry." She said; her blue eyes suddenly darkening slightly. "You're careless with your life, Andie." She scolded her. "You are; you're careless. You're so afraid."

"You don't know me." Andie pushed off the door and walked the length of the room.

"I know why you're so angry, sweetheart." Ellie spoke so warmly it was hard not to believe her.

"You "_died_" when I was five." Andie replied bitterly. "You know nothing about me."

"I died...yes..." Ellie shook her head. "If it wasn't for this blasted body I would have lived forever." She seemed to drift off into a dream world for a moment before coming back to earth. "And yes, I left you alone when your mother couldn't cope and I'm sorry."

Andie let out a high-pitched, humourless laugh. "That's a nice way of putting it." She said. "Better than 'Sorry I wasn't there to help when you found your mother in a bathtub full of her own blood'. Sorry I wasn't there when demons started attacking the orphanage! Or sorry I wasn't there to protect you on the street with hookers, drug dealers and psychopaths all around me!" Andie shut her mouth; afraid at what else might escape if she opened that ancient wound.

Ellie pressed her mouth into a firm line. "Andie..." Then her face softened. "I know life was...tough for you after I died...but I swear to you, I did not know how badly you needed me. When I was Chosen to become an angel, there's...well, I guess it's like an orientation. They said eventually I would be able to watch over you. But by the time I could...you were..."

Andie raised her eyebrows. "I was what? Royally fucked up?"

Ellie didn't bat an eye at the curse, she just smoothly continued. "I wanted so desperately to come back to earth. To be with you...to hold you and take care of you like your mother couldn't." She dropped her head as desperately sad tears for her daughter rolled down her cheeks.

"I have spent most of my life coming to terms with the fact that she..." Andie's breath caught in her throat as the emotion threatened to overtake her while images of her mother formed in her mind; but she spluttered it out and continued. "Someone that I loved. Someone that was _supposed_ to love me back...just didn't."

"Oh, she did Andie," Ellie closed her eyes and held her hands to her chest. "She loved you more than you'll ever know." A thick tear slid down her soft cheek.

"You weren't there!" Andie screamed. "You weren't there!" Her voice cracked. "You didn't see how she was...she acted like I wasn't around. I was just in the way."

Ellie clasped her hands on Andie's shoulders. "You mustn't think like that." She said firmly. "Your mother was very ill. When she lost your father; she lost a piece of her soul. A piece that she never reclaimed. That is what made her do and say the things that she did."

"Oh, please." Andie scoffed. "You can't tell me you forgive her for what she did."

"No. I'm mad at her, too." Ellie admitted. "But I'm madder at myself." Her voice was bold, but bore hints of regret. "I saw what she did to you. Before I was Chosen, I saw how she neglected you after your father died and I didn't do anything to keep you safe. I didn't fight for you."

A huge lump formed in Andie's throat and her lip started quivering; she wanted this to stop right now. Her Grandmother had been dead for over twenty years; it wasn't fair that she could just come back and say all these things. It wasn't fair to force Andie to open that sealed part of her memory where she kept her most painful memories. It wasn't fair that she had to relive them again.

"I should have fought for you, Andie."

Ellie tucked a strand of Andie's chocolate brown hair behind her delicate ear, waiting for her to either shove her off or yell. When she did neither, Ellie took this as a good sign and smoothed Andie's flyaway fringe over out of her eyes. She traced her hands across the young woman's face, the young woman who had seen and done much more than was meant for her. Who had suffered so much for so long, with no end in sight. Her little granddaughter.

Ellie tilted Andie's head upwards and saw crystal tears swimming in her eyelids. "You were just a little girl." Ellie said; her voice trembling. "My beautiful, smart, funny, sparkling little girl." She held her young granddaughters face between her palms and locked eyes with her. "And no one looked out for you."

Andie's chin fell open, in one sentence her Grandmother had found the core of Andie's anger, the reason she was so bitter and twisted, the reason she used to hate her life and wish for death. She'd been left alone; and she hated herself for it. Andie gasped a breath as the tears fell from her eyes. "Grams..." She mumbled.

"Oh, my dear girl," Ellie enveloped her child within her arms. "I'm sorry."

Andie wept into her Grandmother's body for so many things. For losing her parents...for losing Cassidy...for being a relentless bitch to most people...it was all just pouring from her soul and being embraced by her grandmother. Ellie comforted her the way a mother would, the way her mother _should_ have done. And for the first time in the almost nineteen years since she'd discovered her mother's body in the bathroom; Andie felt her heart began to heal.

**xxx**


	35. Chapter 35: Far Away For Far Too Long

***This chapter contains the character of Aurora Sinclair created and generously lent to me by Becca,  
I suggest you read her numerous SPN/OC fics here under the username** Becimpala33 *****

**Chapter 35**

_Far Away For Far Too Long_

"How could you _not_ know Andie is part-Angel?" Dean yelled incredulously at Castiel.

After Andie and Ellie had their deep and meaningful conversation; they met back with Sam and Dean to decide what to do next. Dean, not wanting to take Ellie's approach of thinking things through, decided yelling for Castiel was the best option. It worked; the angel appeared looking more frazzled than usual and grew even more so when Dean began yelling at him.

"I can't sense it in her." Castiel answered, casting a scrutinizing look over Andie.

"But you can sense _me_ in her." Ellie countered. "Can you not?"

Castiel held his eyes on Andie for a moment. "Yes, I can. Your familial connection must block your angelic one. That's why we can't sense you; why we didn't know."

Andie cleared her throat, "Just so I'm clear… I don't have to become one of you… do I?" She shifted uncomfortable from foot to foot.

"No, dear," Ellie gently patted her shoulder. "You're off the radar, so to speak."

"Like a rogue?" Sam guessed.

Ellie let out a brief chuckle. "Not that dramatic, love." Sam was about to reply but the ringing bell of his cell phone caused him to stop and duck into the hallway. Ellie cupped Andie's chin in her hands and smiled again. "The angels have no negativity towards you."

Andie smiled nervously back; she wasn't sure how to take this kind of interaction with a family member. Considering she'd been _without_ a family for the bulk of her life she thought she was dealing with it quite well. At least for now. The moment was interrupted by the unwelcome presence of Uriel; who popped up behind Castiel.

"She tried to kill one of us." He snarled at Andie.

Ellie stood protectively in front of her grandchild. "You will not speak to her like that again." She warned him.

"Let me remind you, _Elizabeth_," He said her name with obvious disdain. "That you are new here."

"I may be new but that does not give you the right to berate my granddaughter." Ellie countered. "And I was sent here by Anna; who, last I heard, was higher in the ranks than you."

Uriel's mouth contorted into an ugly sneer. "Not for much longer…"

"Hey, Dean, can I talk to you for a sec?" Sam gestured to his brother that he needed him alone.

"Ok..." Dean agreed with trepidation at leaving Andie alone with the angels as he followed Sam down the hallway. "What is it?"

"The morgue just called," Sam whispered. "They finished Cassidy's autopsy and they have some questions."

Dean's heart skipped a beat. "What kind of questions?"

"Namely, how did a perfectly healthy young woman died from malnourishment."

Dean narrowed his eyes. _Malnutrition?_ "It wasn't the gunshot?"

"Apparently not. They said her body seemed to be drained off everything; blood, food, fluids..." He shook his head. "I guess angels don't need to eat or drink."

"Poor Cassidy..." Dean muttered, forcing himself not to think of the pain Cassidy must have gone through. "So...what's happening? I mean, what are they asking?"

"They wouldn't say," Sam shook his head. "They just said they're going to conduct an investigation."

"Crap; they can't do that..." Dean massaged the back of his neck as his muscles clenched in stress.

"I have an idea." Sam spoke up. "Someone who can help us."

Dean lifted his eyes up to meet his brothers. "Aurora?" He guessed.

Sam nodded. "She has connections..." He trailed off.

"Yeh; she's a CIA agent; of course she has connections, but you told me you two are on pretty shaky ground."

"Yeah..." Sam sighed. "She still hasn't forgiven me for lying about your D.O.D." Dean raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Date of death."

"Oh, don't abbreviate, you sound like a douche." Dean taunted as he drew in a deep breath. "Do you think she'll be able to keep this quiet?"

Sam paused a moment, and then gave him a firm nod. "I think so."

Dean glanced back through the hall at Andie who was nervously chewing her thumbnail as her bright eyes flicked from angel to angel. "Make the call."

**xxx**

An hour later back in the living room, Andie was mid argument with Castiel about how Cassidy came to be possessed by Anna in the first place. Ellie and Uriel's argument had caused the both of them to go back to their 'headquarters' and battle it out in their own way. Castiel stayed behind to deal with Andie's numerous questions; he maintained that Cassidy had to have accepted Anna's offer to possess her, just like any other angel or demon, a fact that Andie furiously dismissed. "You're insane." She snapped. "Cassidy would never ask for this. Ever."

"She _had_ to." Castiel said. "It's a rule. No angel can possess a human host without permission."

"Well, that's adorable, really," Andie sniped angrily. "But you're just proving my point because Cassidy would _never_ agree to this."

"You cannot be tricked into this, Andie." Castiel stood directly in front of her judgemental face. "There is no underhanded way to take hold of a human host. Cassidy would have _had_ to agree; that is the only answer."

Anger surged through Andie's veins and she smacked Castiel upside the face with her palm. It was like slapping a cement wall. Castiel's face flinched to the left but he bore no sign that she'd hurt him. "Fix this." Andie growled at him, ignoring the stinging in her palm. "Bring her back."

"I can't." Castiel replied.

Andie shoved him hard in the chest. "Bring her back!"

"I _can't_!"

"You _can_! You brought Dean back!" Andie screamed back. "You just won't! Because it's too damn important to your bloody plan!"

"NO!" Castiel roared. "You need to listen to me." He grabbed her up in his arms and shook her shoulders. "_I_ can't bring her back."

His eyes were dark and penetrated deep into Andie's vision she almost shivered. She was preparing to yell another retort when a warm feeling came over her; the same warmth she'd felt when she'd hugged her grandmother, that same warmth that had enveloped her when she'd discovered that she, too, was part Angel. "_I_ can bring her back?" She whispered quietly.

A smile seemed to briefly flicker across Castiel's face. "I raised Dean because I needed him. I can't raise Cassidy because _I_ don't need her."

"How?" Andie practically pleaded with him. "Tell me how; how do I do it? I-I-I can't fly around like you guys do, I don't have an "in" with the Big Guy; how can I bring her back? Can I heal her myself? How do I do that?" The questions were flying out of Andie's mouth before she'd even really thought of them.

"Cassidy's blood run's in you; as yours does in her." Castiel said, picking up her hand and tracing the faint scar on her palm identical to the one on Cassidy's hand. "When she died; you lost a part of yourself." He enclosed her hand in his own. "A part that you can reclaim; if you're strong enough."

Andie almost scoffed. "I'm strong." She assured him. "Tell me what I have to do."

"You can track things." Castiel said, dropping her hand. "People; locations. You know where they are; that's a sense that you need to tap into."

"And I'm looking for what?"

"Her soul." Castiel stated evenly.

"Wh...you want me to locate her soul?" Andie cocked her head to the side. "She's not on earth anymore."

Castiel seemed almost annoyed at this statement. "Your ability extends beyond this world, Andie." He told her. "You just haven't needed to use it before."

"So...if I can find her soul... I can put it back in her body and she'll be fine?"

Castiel paused for an uncomfortable second. "In theory."

"What do you mean 'in theory'?"

Castiel stared off into the distance; lost in a troubled memory. "There are always risks."

"Dean's fine." Andie pointed out.

"Is he?" Castiel countered, raising his eyebrows.

They stood there; eyes locked on each other; without exchanging words until the tension was severed by a sharp knock at the door.

"Excuse me?" Her greeting called through the open front door. She wore form fitting dark jeans and a smart, black button up shirt with her brown hair pulled into a sophisticated ponytail. Her inquisitive eyes scanned Andie's dirty jeans and oversized t-shirt. "Are you Andie Morgan?"

"Who the hell are you?"Andie narrowed her eyes at the woman.

"I'm Agent Aurora Sinclair." She flashed her CIA identification badge. "I'm here to help you."

**xxx**

"You called the cops?!" Andie snarled at Sam.

"I'm with the CIA," Aurora corrected her haughtily as she scooted herself up on the counter. "Completely different thing."

"You shush!" Andie silenced her, ignoring the withering look Aurora gave her in return. "I-I don't get you two," She glared from Sam to Dean. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were..." Sam nodded his head to the heavens. "Busy. I just wanted to make this easier. Aurora can help. The morgue's been calling about Cassidy; they have questions about her death."

Andie gulped and clamped her mouth shut, but she did sent a murderous look Dean's way.

"Sorry." He muttered. "I didn't know how to tell you."

"Oh, we are _so_ not talking." Andie replied.

"Andie-"

"I said not talking!" She cut back.

"Why don't you two give us a second?" Aurora spoke up through the tension building between them. With guilty expressions, the boys left them alone. Sighing, Aurora got to her feet. "Look... you are obviously under severe duress here; last thing you need is the cops on your ass as you try and explain that an angel killed your best friend." She bit her perfect lip. "I can help keep it quiet."

"Why would you do that?" Andie asked through gritted teeth.

"Because those boys are like family to me; just like they are to you." She shrugged indifferently. "And no matter how pissed you get at them; if they need your help, you do it."

Andie scrutinized her for a moment. She didn't know a lot about the people from Sam and Dean's past, only Bobby, and it wasn't as though Andie was the trusting type. Andie could through the doorway that Dean was sitting patiently on Bobby's moth-eaten sofa watching the interchange with great interest. When he caught eyes with her; he nodded in encouragement, silently telling her it was okay to let Aurora help. "Fine." Andie agreed tersely. "We need to get Cass's body out of the morgue."

Aurora pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "Alright. Dean and I can go down there and sort it out."

"How?"

"Do you really care?"

"Nope." Andie gave her a wry grin. "Just get it done."

"Alright then." Aurora spun on her heel and clicked her fingers. "Dean, let's move."

**xxx**

Aurora turned her car off the dirt road from Bobby's and headed towards town. Dean, now dressed in a suit with his cover as her partner set, was beside her fiddling with the dials on the radio. "Stop it," She swatted his hands. "Just leave it alone."

"Ahh," Dean settled back in his seat as he found a station blaring an old _ACDC _classic. "That's better."

"So, Andie?" Aurora struck up another conversation as she took a left. "She seems...special."

Dean rolled his eyes. Aurora was a good friend of his, a great friend, in fact. And no matter what crap she and Sam were dealing with, the pair of them had always stayed strong. Granted, since his death Dean hadn't seen her all that much. But it wasn't intentional. "She just lost her best friend and found out she's a human-angel hybrid; give her a break."

Aurora grinned and slapped him playfully on the arm. "You _lo-ve_ her." She said in a sing-song voice.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He muttered and waved a dismissive hand at her.

"What the hell?" Aurora took her eyes off the road for a second to grab Dean's waving left hand; focusing on the silver band around his ring finger. "You...you got _married_?"

"Aw, you sad you weren't there to be my best man?" He said with a broad grin.

Aurora dropped his hand and clucked her tongue. "That's just like you. To do something like that. Hell; I never thought you'd settle down."

Dean scoffed; he'd hardly call what he and Andie had 'settled' in any way. "Things change, I guess."

"So," Aurora pulled up in front of the hospital and twisted in her seat to face him. "How much do I want to know about this girl Cassidy?"

"Closest thing Andie had to family." Dean replied. "Not that she'd admit it," He smiled as he thought of how stubborn Andie was when it came to things like that. "Cassidy...she kinda got caught in the crossfire."

"Literally." Aurora deadpanned.

"Yeah..." Dean chewed his lip as a vivid image of Cassidy laughing with Andie flittered into his mind; no one could make Andie laugh like Cass. "She was a good friend...a good person..."

Aurora hung her head; she could tell from the way he was speaking that he cared about this Cassidy girl, too. As did Sam; enough to break the wall of silence between them to call her and ask for her help. As much as Dean claimed he was doing this for Andie; he was also doing it for himself and for his brother. Cassidy was a part of his family, too. "So...if I was to come back and visit in a few months and this Cassidy girl was suddenly up and walking around," Aurora said slowly. "I take it _this_," She gestured to the hospital and to what they were about to do. "Has something to do with it."

Dean tapped the side of his nose and then pointed at her.

"Alright then," Aurora quickly checked herself in the side view mirror and pushed open the door. "Then let's do this."

**xxx**


	36. Chapter 36: It Hurts To Breathe

***This was originally all going to be one chapter containing Aurora but it got so long I split it into two; so this is the 2nd part. Thanks again Bec for letting me use her!***

**Chapter 36**

_It Hurts To Breathe_

Andie nervously waited on the front porch for Dean and Aurora to return. She was so focused on the empty road beside Bobby's junkyard that she didn't realize Sam was standing beside her until he lowered a hot cup of coffee under her nose. "Oh," She gratefully took the drink. "Thanks, Sam."

"Welcome." He curled up on the bench beside her. "So, I was thinking, when they bring Ca..." His breath caught sharply in his throat; he couldn't say her name; not yet. Not so soon. "When they bring her back; we can keep her in the panic room. She'll be safe in there until you –_we_ – figure out how to fix this."

Andie took a long, slow drink of the warm java in her mug. She felt it warm down her throat and settle in her belly and wished that warmth would last. But it soon disappeared and was replaced by that cold, hard lump of guilt and anxiety that she'd been nursing since she'd fired that gun at her friend's chest. "What if I can't do it, Sam?" She whispered into her cup. "What if I can't bring her back?"

"Hey," Gently, Sam rested his hand against her back and slid it up around her shoulder.

"No, I mean it," Andie turned to him. "I just found out that I'm...that I have these _angelic_ powers and...and I'm just supposed to _know_ how to bring her back? I assume it's not gonna be like flicking on a kitchen light."

"You just..." Sam exhaled loudly. "You have to believe you can do this, Andie." His voice was strong; assuring. "And if it helps; I know you can."

"So do I." Ellie's warm voice floated into their ears as she stepped gracefully onto the porch.

"You're back." Andie couldn't keep the smile from inching onto her face.

"Yes. Uriel..." She shook her head dismissively. "He's never warmed to me; probably never will." She fiddled with her pearl necklace. "And by the way, Sam, I think it's a great idea to use the panic room." She patted his shoulder and squeezed herself between the two of them on the bench. "I'll sit with Cassidy until you're ready." She took Andie's hand.

"So...there's nothing you can tell me that'll help me figure out how I'm meant to do this?" Andie practically begged.

"I'm sorry, my dear, no." Ellie squeezed her hand. "But I will tell you; that having Castiel's help is the best way for you to accomplish this."

The familiar roar of an engine caught Andie's ear. Glancing up, she saw Aurora's truck pulling into the junkyard. Her breath caught in her throat and she instinctively gripped her grandmother's hand, feeling just like a child all over again.

"Why don't you take Andie inside, Sam?" Ellie turned to him. "I'll make sure Cassidy is safe."

"Sure." Sam rose to his feet and tried to obscure the car from Andie's view, but even he could see the body covered in a white sheet lying in the backseat of Aurora's truck. Still, Sam gulped and took Andie by the arm, grateful she didn't resist as he led her inside and upstairs. They didn't speak; they didn't do anything. They just sat together in one of the spare rooms until Dean came and found them.

"Hey, we're, ah," He cleared his throat. "We're done."

Both brother's looked to Andie, as if awaiting her order. "Do we have any beer?" She asked after a moment.

"What?"

"I need a drink," She got to her feet and averted both sets of concerned eyes as she headed out of the room. "I'll be on the porch."

Andie wasn't sure what she was feeling; and she was getting sick of feeling this way. One of the things she felt confident in when it came to her personality was her control of her emotions. So to have a spanner thrown into the works was a real...well...spanner in the works. She knew she had to be careful; her powers were tied to her emotions – which made so much more sense now that she knew they stemmed from angels - and when she lost control it was dangerous for all concerned.

After nabbing a beer from the fridge, Andie retreated back to the porch and sat cross legged on the bench again. Her mind was racing and yet foggy at the same time. How the hell was she supposed to bring Cassidy back? More to the point; how was she supposed to locate her soul? Never mind the fact that her supposedly dead grandmother was walking around; but now she was attempting to raise a corpse herself? Even by Andie's standards that was strange.

It didn't take long for someone to join Andie on the porch. Their footsteps were sharp and light so she knew it wasn't Dean or Sam; her grandmother seemed to just pop up out of nowhere; so it didn't surprise Andie to see Aurora come out carrying a cooler full of beers which she placed at Andie's feet. She selected one for herself and leant against the doorframe, staring off into the distance just as Andie was.

"How did you get her out?" Andie asked after awhile; not looking up.

"Well, the hospital wasn't too keen on the CIA investigating their premises." She explained with a triumphant smile. "All it took was few choice words with the administrator; they don't need my people in their business."

"Yeah, well to be honest, I don't really like _your_ people in my business anyway." Andie complained.

"Jesus; do you have trust issues..." Aurora shook her head and slouched into the deck chair beside her. "Can't say I blame you... Dean told me about you, y'know..." She paused for a moment. "And your mum."

_Of course he did_, Andie thought as a niggle of annoyance rippled through her. "Yeah..." She muttered.

"If it makes you feel any better, my mum wasn't all that great either," Aurora took a bottle of beer from the cooler. "She was really prestigious... but my dad wasn't. Guess she thought we brought her down or something." She quickly swallowed down some alcohol to drown out those memories.

"How'd you get into the CIA?" Andie wondered aloud, curious as to why someone as beautiful as Aurora would chose such a career.

"My dad was a cop," Aurora replied. "Guess I was sorta born into it." She took another long drink. "What about your father; what did he do?"

"I don't really know; he died when I was three. He wasn't a hunter." Andie tapped her wedding ring against her beer bottle. "He was killed in a demon attack trying to protect my mother...she never got over it." Her brow creased itself of its own accord. "Guess being part angel didn't help her much back then..."

Aurora laughed gently. "I always think I'm getting a hang of this whole demon world," She smiled faintly as polished off her drink. "And then something like this happens."

"Well," Andie shrugged and swallowed a large gulp of alcohol. "Such is our life." The conversation was getting too close for comfort; at least to Andie, so she switched things up. "So, you and Sam?" She asked, making her voice more upbeat.

"Yep, well sort of," Her pretty face twisted into one of confusion. "And you and Dean."

"Yep," She took a long drink and drained the bottle.

"I always thought I knew that guy pretty well," Aurora shook her head and brushed some auburn strands of hair out of her eyes. "Never thought he'd end up someone's husband."

"I know the feeling."

"Sorry?"

"Imagine someone so irritating, so chauvinistic and juvenile and actually quite gross... I hate guys like that." Andie limply shrugged her shoulders, a smile making its way onto her face. "And yet I fell in love with one."

Aurora laughed. "That's because once you get past the irritating, childish, grossness you see what he really is. A good man who would do anything for you." She let herself drift off to a memory of when she thought of her Winchester boy like that. Sam had been so precious to her; and yet he'd stabbed a knife through her heart by lying about Dean. A sad smile played at her lips, "Goddamn it's hard to love a Winchester." She barely managed to whisper.

"I'll drink to that." Andie clinked her empty bottle against her new friend's and let out a satisfied breath.

Aurora chucked her empty bottle aside. "I should get back on the road; got some paperwork to lose on this matter." She sent a playful smirk at Andie.

"Hey..." Andie called her back. "Thank you...for doing what you did. I know you didn't have to." She gulped awkwardly. "I, ah, I owe you one."

"You're welcome." Aurora smiled. "That was hard for you, wasn't it?"

Andie sighed. "Yep."

Aurora paused before heading back into the house. "I hope everything works out for you guys." She said, her voice genuine. "I really do."

Andie didn't really know what to say; she just offered a wobbly smile back and watched Aurora leave. She heard her call Sam's name as she entered the house and assumed they were saying their goodbyes. At least they weren't yelling; maybe all was not as lost as Aurora seemed to think.

Curled up on the bench, Andie watched the night sky start to lighten as the day broke. She became aware that she was twisting her wedding ring around her finger again; she seemed to do it all the time. Aurora's words played over and over in Andie's mind. Why were she and Dean still married? Were they really just lazy, or did neither of them really care? It didn't seem like the kind of conversation they were going to have any time soon; both of them just preferred to keep the messy stuff out of the way; it made their lives a hell of a lot easier.

After Aurora left and the sun was almost fully awake, Andie went looking for Dean. She found Sam dead asleep on the couch and assumed Ellie was down in the basement with Cassidy inside the panic room; though Andie still didn't want to go down there. Not yet. She found Dean where she expected to find him; out by the Impala leaning against the bonnet watching the horizon. It had been a hell of a couple of days for all of them; they were all taken short moments to go over things and Andie realized she might be interrupting Dean's moment, but something Castiel said earlier made her approach him anyway. His answer when Andie had stated that after being raised from Hell that Dean was fine. _Is he?_, Castiel had replied.

"The sunrise..." Andie commented as the golden glow rose over the horizon. "It's beautiful." She scooted herself up onto the bonnet behind Dean.

"Yeah…" Dean agreed, keeping his eyes on the horizon. "I know you heard him, Morgan." Dean said a moment later. "Alastair. What he said back at the church...about how I had promise."

That took her mind back, even though it had only been two days it felt like an eternity ago. Hell, Andie could still feel Cassidy's warm hand in her own as she sat with her waiting for the ambulance. But now that she let herself remember Alistair, that horrid, smarmy demon who'd really gave them a working over, she vividly recalled what he'd said about Dean. "Yeah, I heard him." Andie confirmed; but she didn't press the matter.

Dean cast his eyes over his shoulder at her. "You're not curious?"

"Yes, I'm curious. But you don't wanna talk about and I'm not gonna make you. When I don't wanna talk about something; you don't push it." She pointed out, mentally kicking herself for her attitude towards him earlier. Everything he'd done today he'd done for her; and she hadn't as much as thanked him. "Truth be told; I don't like to remember what it was like when you were gone. I'd like to erase those four months from my life."

"It wasn't four months, you know." Dean whispered.

"Sorry?"

"It was four months up here, but down there..." Dean tried to steady his shaky voice. "I don't know; time's different. It was more like 40 years."

"Oh, God." Andie murmured, hanging her head in disbelief.

"They, uh... they sliced and carved and tore at me in ways that you," A boyish smirk played at his lips; as though trying to hide fear with arrogance. "Until there was nothing left." His voice lowered in register; the childish innocence vanishing. "And then, suddenly... I would be whole again." He gulped. "Like magic...just so they could start all over again."

Andie had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying. The very idea that someone could do something like that to a human being was repulsive. But to do it to _her_ Dean? How dare they? Her mind forced out the horrid images that kept flashing in front of her eyes of Dean being ripped to shreds while screaming in agony; screaming like he had been in all those nightmares she'd suffered in those four months. Now she was dreading the realization to dawn on her that those nightmares might be more real than she'd first thought.

"And Alastair..." Dean continued, trying to keep his voice strong. "At the end of every day... every one... He would come over. And he would make me an offer. To take me off the rack... if I put souls on...if I started the torturing. And every day, I told him to stick it where the sun shines."

Andie felt a faint smile tugging at her lips, but her tears bore nothing but pity for this broken man in front of her; _my_ _broken man_, she thought.

"For 30 years, I told him." Now, he voice shook. The pain of what he was admitting to verbalizing itself as he spoke.

Andie tilted her head to the side; seeing his facial features contorting into devastation.

"But then I couldn't do it anymore, Andie." His voice was so small; almost begging in tone. "I couldn't. And I got off that rack. God help me, I got right off it, and I started ripping them apart. I lost count of how many souls. The -- the things that I did to them.

Then, he broke. Andie had never seen him cry, but this was even more than that. His heart was breaking right in front of her. And now she understood.

The way he'd come back, the way he'd just slipped right back into his old self as if he'd never been gone; it was to protect himself from the realization of just how awful the things he did were. Not only that, but since Cassidy's death, Dean had been the strong one. He'd been the one to keep her steady and on her feet. He'd been her husband and Sam's brother; he hadn't let his own thoughts or feelings seep into any of it because he didn't want them to be burdened by him.

Sliding off the Impala, Andie moved in front of Dean and rested her hands gently on his knees. His head dipping into his chest as his face cringed with tears, he let out a slow, jagged breath. To see him like this caused a physical reaction in Andie's body; it tore at her insides so violently she thought it was happened to her. A man so shattered; how could she fix him?

Andie slid her hands up around the back of Dean's neck and rubbed her thumbs just below his earlobes. "Dean…" She whispered quietly as she tilted his head up to meet her eyes. All she saw was sorrow looking back at her; a fragile man full of regret and self-hatred.

"How I feel..." He continued tearfully. "This... inside me... I wish I couldn't feel anything, Andie." His chin quivered as fresh tears slid down his pained cheeks. "I wish I couldn't feel a damn thing."

Andie's burst into tears the moment she flung her arms around Dean's neck. "I'm so sorry," She whispered as he tightly squeezed her as close to him as he could. "I'm so sorry I couldn't get you out of there." She took a long, steadying breath. "But I promise…I'm not leaving you anymore."

Aurora was right; it was hard to love a Winchester. But Andie knew, holding Dean's frail body in her arms, that she'd never feel this way about someone else; never feel this connection of friendship and trust. The word 'love' didn't explain what she felt for this man in her grasp; no word could. They were…_indefinable_, Andie let herself smile as she stroked the back of Dean's neck. _I like the sound of that…_

**xxx**


	37. Chapter 37: Training Day

**Chapter 37**

_Training Day_

That night, the dreams started again.

It was as though Andie was watching a movie of her own life. She was eight years old, creeping down the hallway after hearing a crash of glass on the bathroom tiles. Her mother had disappeared into that room after she'd tucked Andie in, kissing her goodnight and telling her she loved her. They had had a good day, a rarity for them. Even at nine Andie and her mother didn't get along; but today was different. Today was fun. Still, young Andie couldn't ignore the worrying feeling within her stomach that made her heart race as she padded towards the slightly open bathroom door. She could see the flickering lights of a spread of candles tracing the rim of the bathtub and her mother's damp hair limply hanging over the edge of the tub.

Then something else caught her eye; the candlelight glinted against the water, but the water wasn't transparent. It was red. Andie wasn't sure how she knew it was blood; but it was. "Mum?" she called out hopefully to the silent frame of her mother's body. Her wrist was dangling off the side of the bath; scarlet liquid trickling down in a sickly motion to a widening puddle on the floor. "_Mummy_!"

With a gasp, Andie woke up from the nightmare. Cool beads of sweat were racing down her face and her t-shirt was sticking to her chest. She quickly sat up and took a few deep breaths. _At least I didn't scream..._ she thought, remembering when she used to have nightmares with Cassidy and her friend would be shaking her awake with bleary eyes; but Dean was still sleeping beside her. One of the good things about staying at Bobby's for awhile was that they got their own room; so Andie didn't have to worry about waking Sam. What she didn't expect was a late night visitor.

"Did I wake you?" Castiel asked from the doorway.

"No, I, just...ah..." Andie pulled her damp hair off the back of her neck and up into a ponytail. "Bad dream. What are you doing here?"

"You need to come with me."

Andie stayed put; the last time Castiel had popped up like this she'd wound up in the future with two daughters. "I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me what you want."

"It's not about what I want," Castiel replied. "It's about what you want. You want Cassidy back; you need to learn how to do that."

Andie glanced over at Dean, wondering if she should wake him, but then decided it was best for her to figure this out herself. It was what _she_ wanted after all, like Castiel said. Quickly tossing on a pair of jeans over her boxer shorts, Andie followed Castiel downstairs and outside to the back of Bobby's junkyard. "What are we doing out here?" She asked, curious as to how this would help her locate Cassidy's soul.

"You didn't know where your powers came from," Castiel explained. "So you've never used them to their full potential. Now, you know the truth so you need to learn just how powerful you are."

Andie narrowed her eyes at him. "You're going to, what, train me?"

"In a manner of speaking." Castiel replied vaguely. "Sit down."

Not even bothering to complain about sitting on the dirt, Andie just sighed and sat cross legged on the spot.

"Sit up straight. Close your eyes." Castiel instructed taking a few steps back.

Puzzled, Andie did as he said, sneaking quick peeks at him in case he tried to do something to her. _Wow, am I on edge,_ she thought, _I'm suspicious of an angel..._ "What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I want you to lift up everything in this area." Castiel informed her.

Andie opened her eyes wide, unsure of what she'd heard. "Are you drunk?"

"Use your telekinesis," Castiel explained calmly. "Everything in this area," He gestured to the scrap metal and piles of tyres in various states of disorder. "Lift it up."

"I..." Andie scoffed a laugh. "I can't. I mean, I can barely move more than one thing at a time; you want me to mess around with all of this junk?"

"If you focus; you can do it." Castiel assured her. "Close your eyes."

With a complacent exhale, Andie shut her eyes again and rested her hands on her knees. She wasn't sure what to think of that would help this situation. Channelling her power had always been a bit tricky for her; her method of just tossing her hand and various things worked well in the past; but of late she had been trying to extend the ability.

"Visualize what you're trying to do." Castiel coached her.

Andie noticed his voice sounded further away, almost echoed like a voice in a dream, but she did as he said. She pictured the junkyard and all the random items around her floating a foot or so above the ground. Her mind cleared a little and she was able to concentrate better and even out her breathing.

"Focus better, Andie!" Castiel's voice called out.

Put off by the suddenly firm tone in his voice, Andie opened her eyes and screamed. She was floating off the ground staring down at Castiel. The second she let out that cry; she lost her concentration and fell heavily back to earth. "Ooof!" She grunted as her backside hit the dirt. "Well; that'll leave a mark..." She grumbled rubbing her back. "What the hell was that?" She directed at Castiel who was immediately at her side helping her to her feet.

"A first attempt." He replied. "You need to shift your focus; you're channelling your power inward."

"Well, I don't know how to do it any other way." Andie retorted. "No one ever taught me how to do this, ok? And anyway, how is using telekinesis meant to help me find Cass's soul?"

"Your powers all stem from the same place; you have to learn to exercise them all."

Grumbling, Andie continued to rub her sore butt. "You still haven't told me how I'm supposed to find Cass's soul."

"Once you're better equipped it'll be easier to explain," Castiel replied. "But you'll be able to see her soul, and call it back into her body."

Andie gave him the strangest look. "Right... "call to her soul"... you're sure you're not drunk?"

Castiel wasn't amused. "That's enough for tonight." He muttered.

"No, come on, I'll be serious. Promise."

"No, it's not a good idea for you to do too much too soon."

"Well, aren't we kinda on a clock here?" Andie pointed out. "I mean, Cassidy is technically a corpse right now... and corpses, y'know... rot..."

"You're grandmother will keep her safe." Castiel replied. "Go back to bed; Dean's awake. He's concerned for you."

And within a blink of her eyes, Castiel vanished from Andie's view. "Oh, crud." She hissed as she turned and made her way back to Bobby's house. It was a shame she didn't inherit all the angelic powers of her grandmother; blinking around from place to place would make travelling a whole lot easier than crammed into the backseat of the Impala.

Dean was in the kitchen when Andie came back inside. "Hey," His eyes glanced over her noting the dirt smeared across her clothes. "What happened? Are you ok?"

"Yeah; fine," Andie smiled. "Castiel..." She rolled her eyes. "I guess you'd say he's 'training' me."

Dean was way too tired to question her further, but he did rub her shoulders clean of the dirt stained across her. "You coming back to bed?"

"Yeah, I just need to take a shower first." Andie tried to give him a reassuringly smile; but she could tell he was still worried about her. It was in his eyes. "I'm fine, Dean." She said firmly.

He cupped her face between his hands and planted a gentle kiss on her lips; parting her mouth ever so slightly with his own. "Y'know, I'm not leaving you either." He whispered as he pulled away.

Andie found herself smiling again; but this one really was reassuring. "Good to know." She smirked as he kissed her deeply once more. "I'll see you upstairs."

"Ok, don't keep me waiting." Dean tapped her nose with his finger, which she then playfully smacked away, then retreated upstairs.

"He's a good man, Andie," Ellie's voice sang from the top of the basement stairs. "A good heart."

"I know," She cast a curious look to her grandmother. "What are you doing up here?"

"Cassidy's alright." She assured her as she drifted across the floor; her dress was so long it covered her feet so she looked like she was floating. "You could go down and see her if you want. She just looks like she's sleeping."

"No." Andie replied hurriedly, not intended for her voice to sound so panicked. "No; I don't want to see her until I can bring her back. I don't want to go down there."

"Ok," Ellie said calmly. "It was just a suggestion." She rested her hands upon Andie's shoulders, but then her eyes narrowed as she saw something else was troubling her grandchild. "What is it, sweetheart? You seem uneasy."

Briefly Andie thought about saying nothing, it surely wouldn't be easier for her Grams to hear about Andie's dreams, but then again she was an angel. "I had a nightmare," She began slowly. "About mum. About the day she died."

A mournful glow cast across Ellie's eyes. "Oh..."

"I haven't had them in a long time." Andie continued. "It used to be every night...then after I met Cass they were less frequent...and up until now I couldn't tell you the last time I had one."

"What exactly do you see, dear?" It was hard for Ellie to ask this question, after all they were speaking of her only daughter's demise, but Andie was the most important thing to Ellie and her needs came first.

"I see myself as a kid... finding her in the bath." Andie tried to keep the mental image of her mother floating in a bath full of blood red water from creeping into her mind. "Why am I having them again?"

"Perhaps it's my fault," Ellie mused aloud. "My reappearance stirred up some old feelings..." She closed her eyes; as if overcome by guilt.

"Hey, I'm screwed up in more ways than one," Andie tried to cheer her up. "Might just be me."

"Oh, you're sweet dear," She cupped Andie's cheek in her palm. "But I'm sorry to say nightmares are something that runs in our blood..."

Andie smirked, that sentence stirring up a memory. "Dale one time said the same thing..."

"Dale?" Ellie repeated, the name striking an old flame inside her. "Dale was here? He found you?"

"Yeah, actually he was the one who came up with the idea that I should marry Dean to keep him outta Hell."

A wistful grin tugged at Ellie's lips. "Did he now..." She laughed. "That does sound like him." She sighed with huge relief. "I'm so glad he found you."

"Yeah; last year." Andie nodded, remembering her brief encounter with her grandmothers' old friend; he was a master in knowledge of the occult and even had numerous degrees on the matter. He was always researching something new. "Although now he's in the middle of the jungle somewhere, haven't heard from him in awhile. You guys were friends, weren't you," She asked. "I remember reading about him in your journal."

"Yes, he was of great comfort to me after my husband died...but, my journal, you still have it?" Ellie seemed delighted at this news.

"Yeah, it's come in quite handy," Andie smiled. "Do you want to see it?"

"Tomorrow, love, you need rest." Ellie traced her hand along Andie's jaw line.

Andie nodded and started to head upstairs, but she paused on the bottom step and turned back around. "Awhile ago... she came to me. Mum." Andie admitted. "I mean, it wasn't her. It was a demon playing a trick... and I...I hurt Dean; I almost killed him." She brushed that horrid thought aside. "I don't want that to start again."

Ellie stepped forward and took Andie's hand. "It won't, my darling."

Andie chewed on her bottom lip. "Promise?" she muttered quietly.

"I promise. Now go clean up and get back to bed." She patted her granddaughter's hand and watched her carefully as she ascended the staircase. "Will she be alright?" she asked Castiel, whom she had felt pop up behind her once Andie was out of view.

"I don't know." He answered as he stepped up beside Ellie. "She's strong, but her powers are unpredictable."

"Nothing matters more to me," Ellie flexed her fingers. "In this world or the next, than that girl, Castiel." She said warningly. "If what you're doing, this training, harms her? You will have to answer to me."

"I don't wish to harm her." Castiel replied pointedly; almost offended by her accusatory tone. "However there are concerns..."

"I heard." Ellie sighed, wishing sometimes she could tune out of angel radio. "After everything she's done they all still doubt Andie's ability to help Sam and Dean defeat Lilith."

Castiel glanced sideways at Ellie. "Not all of them." He reassured her.

**xxx**


	38. Chapter 38: A Low, Low, Lonely Soul

***the character of Zoe Mitchell is an OC belonging to the lovely Eryn (Frostpaw/Frost Hobbit on here) who let me borrow her for this fic; thanks hun!***

**Chapter 38**

_A Low, Low, Lonely Soul_

Andie was whimpering in her sleep again. Sighing, Dean tentatively rubbed her back to soothe her; hopefully she wouldn't wake up with a scream like yesterday. Of course; she played it off as nothing, but her mumblings were hard for him to ignore.

_"Mum...Cassidy...please stay..."_

Over and over; she'd repeat those words as her breathing would quicken and she'd start to cry. He didn't know what had spurred it on; Dean was a light sleeper so, normally, any sort of noise woke him up, and lately she'd been sleeping well. But ever since what happened with Cassidy; she'd been having mumbling nightmares like this. And when her Grandmother had shown up; her mother had been included in the mutterings.

Thankfully, Andie stopped muttering and her face softened. Dean threaded his arm around her back and pulled her close to his chest. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful to Castiel, heck the man rescued him from Hell, but this 'training' was wearing Andie to the bone. She barely slept as it was and now with Castiel's early morning workouts of her angel powers; she was like a zombie all day. It had been going on for almost a week now and the strain was really showing through Andie. She was more irritable and impatient than usual. And as much as he trusted her; a small part of Dean couldn't let go of the thought that maybe she wasn't strong enough to save Cassidy. Maybe all of this training was just making her weaker; and if so then someone had to put a stop to it.

**xxx**

Andie's head was throbbing. Again, she sat on the ground of the junkyard focusing deeply on moving everything around her. The good thing was, three days into this 'training', she was actually getting it now. She'd only managed to lift everything up once and it was only for a few seconds, but even that was so draining she slept until the next afternoon.

Castiel seemed pleased with her progress; although he didn't much show it. Andie just knew the less he barked orders, the better she was doing. Plus, she wasn't floating off the grass anymore.

"You need help." Castiel was suddenly right in front of her.

Andie jumped in shock. "Yeh, you gotta stop doing that."

"You need Pamela." Castiel continued.

Andie narrowed her eyes when she heard the name. "Psychic Pamela?" She said. "Why?"

"She might be able to help..." He scanned his eyes across Andie's face. "You're not progressing as fast as I'd have hoped."

Andie pouted. "You said I was getting better."

"Not quickly enough. And if you want to save your friend, time is valuable."

"I dunno if Pamela will be so keen to help me," Andie wondered out loud. "I mean, _you're_ the reason she lost her eyes."

"She'll help if you ask her." Castiel said firmly.

Andie could still recall their conversation the day Pamela had left. They'd struck up some sort of bond and, though Pamela was quite vocal in her dislike of angels, Andie felt like she would help her with this; she seemed genuinely sorrowful about Cassidy's death. "I'll ask her."

**xxx**

"Pamela?" Sam repeated after Andie had repeated Castiel's plan for her. "He wants Pamela to help you?" Andie nodded her head in reply.

"Then why didn't he just say that from the start?" Dean asked, annoyed that all of this 'training' may have been for nothing. "What's the point in getting you up at all hours to use your freaky angel powers if Pamela's been the key all along?"

"Apparently we don't have the _time_ to train me up properly," Andie rolled her eyes whilst trying to stifle a yawn. "Pamela will help speed up the process... can't exactly keep a body in Bobby's panic room forever."

"Cass has family, though, right?" Sam added. "Won't they be wondering where she is? She told me once that she checks in with her mum..."

Andie shook her head. "I'm not calling them... they don't know she died so... I might not have to tell them." A weird ringing noise caught her ear and made her grimace. "Whose phone is that?"

It took Andie a minute to recognize the ringtone. It was Cassidy. Not just her phone; but her voice. She'd developed the bad habit of recording her own ring tones. The phone was buzzing from a plastic bag pushed to the back of the kitchen counter, a bag that contained all Cass's personal effects. Aurora had dropped it off along with Cass before she'd left.

Sam moved to answer the phone, but Andie cut in front of him. "I'll get it." She muttered as she roughly yanked open the bag, ignoring Cassidy's jewellery, and retrieving the phone. The ID read _ZOE_; Andie had no idea who that was but if the number was in Cass's phone... "Hello?" Andie answered.

"Cass?" A timid voice answered.

"Ah, no, this is Andie..."

"As in Andie Morgan, Andie?" The girl replied, her voice raising an octave or two. "Cassidy's best friend, the chick she drops everything for?"

"Who is this?"

"My name's Zoe Mitchell," She heaved a heavy sigh. "Look; I'll just be straight with you. Cassidy and I had an argument about six months ago and usually these things blow over but this one hasn't and I haven't heard from her in awhile. I know she was tracking a demon, but hell if you called her she might have dropped that, too."

"Hold on," Andie was having trouble keeping up. "_Who_ are you?"

"Is Cassidy there?" Zoe asked urgently. "I need to speak to her."

"No, ah, no she's not here," Andie mouthed the girls name to Sam and Dean, they exchanged a look that told Andie they both knew who this girl was.

"Look, I know who you are." Zoe suddenly said. "You hunt with the Winchesters. I've done that, too. Back before you were around, they helped me out a lot. I met Cassidy at the Roadhouse; she said you never liked fraternizing with other hunters so much-"

"Do you have a point?" Andie cut in.

"You and Cassidy are joined at the crazy-hip." Zoe stated. "And if you have her phone - you know as well as I do she never goes far without it - so you know where she is, and you're not telling me."

Andie clucked her tongue a few times, her brain jumbling around ideas that were swimming amongst her thoughts. "You care about her? Cassidy?"

"Of course."

"We're at Bobby's junkyard. Get here as soon as you can." She caught Dean's puzzled eyes. "Turns out I might actually need your help." With that, she hung up the phone.

**xxx**

It didn't take Andie long to decide that everything that was going on would be best explained to this Zoe girl somewhere other than the junkyard. She quickly stuffed a few things in her shoulder bag and went to wait out on the side of the road.

"What are you doing out here?" Dean's voice called to her as he joined her by the front gate.

"Waiting for this Zoe chick." She snapped a little too harshly. "Oh, and thank you again for not telling me about yet another girl from your past who just randomly decides to show up."

Dean was sharply taken aback. "First of all, she called after Cassidy, not me," He argued. "And second of all; what is _with_ the attitude?"

"Attitude?" Andie repeated. "My best friend is dead; I think I'm allowed to be pissed off."

"Yeah, yeah of course you are, but, damn, Andie we're just trying to help you here and you're pushing us away."

"I'm not-!" She stopped short. She was; she knew it, but, _shit_, Cassidy was dead because of her. Didn't she have a little bit of a right to be upset? Didn't Dean see that, hadn't he been in exactly the same place when Sam had died and he'd sold his soul? "I...I have to fix this."

"I'm just...I'm tired, Andie." Dean admitted; rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm tired of fighting who I'm supposed to be..."

"I'm not asking you to..." Andie replied; a puzzled look creeping onto her face. "What's wrong?"

Dean struggled to find words that wouldn't further aggravate her. "I...I don't believe in...."

"In what?" She pressed, an icy feeling creeping up her back; she had a feeling what was coming.

Dean drew a deep breath and divulged his secret. "In you."

Andie's mouth fell open in disbelief. "I knew it." She realized. "You don't think I can save Cassidy, do you?"

"All this angel crap? It's draining you, Andie," Dean exhaled and hung his head. "I know she means a lot to you, but what Castiel is asking-"

"Means a lot to me?" Andie interrupted, her voice rising. "Means _a lot_ to me? Christ, Dean, is that what you think?" An irritated smirk crept onto her face. "Tell me; does Sam _mean a lot_ to you?"

Dean flinched. "Andie..." He warned.

"What, is that different? You think just because we're not related it's not the same thing?! She's my family Dean! And she's all I've got! I can find a way to save her so why the _hell_ wouldn't I want to do that?" Tears sprang freely from her eyes. "This is _my_ life, Dean," Andie cried out defensively, slamming her palm against her sternum. "And it _does not work_ without her!"

Her voice rang through the empty junkyard, but the silence between them was deafening. It was only broken by the puttering engine of a yellow VW Bug that pulled up out the front of the drive. Without a goodbye, Andie rearranged her grip on her bag and headed for the car.

"What about all that "_I'm not leaving anymore_" crap?" Dean called after her.

Stopping in her tracks, Andie turned ever so slightly over her shoulder. "_I'm_ coming back..." she said coldly.

He watched, his head drooping in guilt, as she climbed into the car. "I'm sorry..." He muttered uselessly, but the Bug was already speeding off into the distance.

**xxx**

For the first hour of their drive, the only words Andie spoke to Zoe were Pamela's address. She turned off her phone to ignore the incoming calls from Dean and Sam and just stared out the window trying to tune out the sound of Zoe's random questions. Andie could tell she was just trying to fill in the silence, ("Man, this road is long...", "I need new car seat covers...", "What digit can you recite pie to?"), but Andie didn't reply until they crossed the border and her anger at Dean seemed to ebb away.

"How did you know Cassidy?" Andie spoke up. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Zoe do a double take; as if checking that she'd heard a sound coming from her passenger.

"Oh, we, ah, we met at the Roadhouse." Zoe replied. "She's a good hunter; I've never seen anyone move so fast..." A grave look crept onto her peaceful face. "Wait...you said did... how _did_ I know Cassidy?"

"She's dead." Andie confirmed blatantly. Then almost immediately she smacked her head against the passenger's side window as Zoe nearly sped off the road.

The Bug screeched to a halt on the empty highway and Zoe turned tearfully to Andie, her mouth hanging open. "What?"

"I'm fixing it." Andie assured her, her face stoic and expressionless. "That's why we're going to Pamela's." She rubbed the bump on her head. "Just drive."

After a few calming breaths, Zoe pulled her Bug straight and continued driving.

"Andrea Morgan, explain yourself."

Andie tutted as she saw her grandmother pop up in the backseat. "Ellie..." She whined.

"Oh, God!" Zoe screeched and swerved her Bug for the second time in a couple of minutes, but this time she managed to keep control of it and continue driving. "Who the Hell are you?!" She screamed to the elderly woman in the backseat.

"I'm Ellie, Andie's grandmother," She smiled warmly. "Pleased to meet you. Forgive me for popping in unannounced, but my offspring here is going through one of her trademark hissy fits."

"Dean was being unreasonable." Andie countered.

"He's _always_ unreasonable." Ellie sighed. "Part of his charm, I suppose...but you know that he's an asset, it's silly for you to embark on a feat such as this without him."

"Ellie, I don't need Dean for this," Andie disputed. "And he made himself pretty clear back there that he doesn't think I _can_ do this, so-"

"So you go traipsing off with a complete stranger to prove him wrong? No offence, dear," Ellie assured Zoe. "You seem lovely."

"Are we not gonna talk about how you just popped up in my backseat?" Zoe asked; her eyes still wide.

"I'm an angel," Ellie replied. "I'm sure Andie will explain later, if she ever lets this anger go."

"Cas said I need to be angry if I want to do this!"

"Cassidy said that?" Zoe cut in.

"No, not that Cas, angel Cas." Andie explained.

Zoe's brow furrowed. "Who?"

"Never mind." Andie gave up. "Point is," She turned in her seat to argue some more but Ellie was nowhere to be seen. "Oh, come on!" She flopped heavily back into her seat.

"Huh... so she just pops in and out like that?" Zoe asked as she steered off the main road.

"Apparently... I haven't known her that long." Andie muttered.

"You haven't known your grandmother that long?" Zoe repeated in slight disbelief.

"Yeah, she died when I was five. Heart attack," Andie laughed humourlessly. "Well, we were _told_ it was a heart attack; but it was the angels nabbing her up into the sky. She showed up this week looking to help me."

"Ah..." Zoe mused, even she had a limit to weirdness and she was definitely reaching it today. "Well... you don't need to tell me about family problems. I got a helluva lot of 'em."

"Don't we all..." Andie grumbled, suddenly recognizing the street. "Stop." She ordered Zoe as they pulled up in front of Pamela's beautiful home. "We're here."

**xxx**

"Let me see if I have this straight..." Pamela said from her sofa as Zoe and Andie sat before her in parallel easy chairs. "You want me to use my mojo to search the outer realms of the universe for your buddy's soul?"

"Yes." Andie nodded.

"And you can't do it, even though you just found out you got some angel blood in you?"

"Yes."

"And the blonde is here, why?"

"She cares about Cassidy," Andie informed her. "And Castiel said it's all about people who want Cassidy back, so I figured the more the merrier..." She paused. "I'm sure he's sorry he burned out your eyes..."

"I'll bet..." Pamela sighed.

"How'd you know I was blonde?" Zoe asked, slightly relieved Pamela _was_ blind and didn't see the freaked out look on her face when she saw the shock white pseudo eyes she had in place of human eyeballs.

"I'm a psychic, sweetie," Pamela grinned at her then took a long drink of coffee. "So," She turned her head towards Andie. "You're a half-breed, huh? Like one of the Nephilim?"

Andie creased her brow. "The whattie-what?"

"Nephilim. Half-breed angels. It's in the bible. Read up on them when all this angel jibber-jabber started." Pamela explained. "Sons of God came to earth and had children with human women, they called them the Nephilims. Possessed the angelic powers but kept their human forms." She cast her fluorescent eyes at Andie. "Course they're referred to as being giants but obviously that's just metaphorical; they think it more refers to their ferocity and strength. The Nephilims were supposedly born for battle ..." She trailed off with a wry grin. "Seems to fit you to a T, huh?"

"Thanks for the lesson." Andie deadpanned, rubbing her temple to ease an oncoming migraine.

"And those gorgeous boys aren't here, why?"

"I can do this by myself." Andie replied defensively; hating the implication.

"Hey, don't take it the wrong way, darlin'," Pamela chuckled. "Just asking," She finished off her coffee. "Ok, girls..." She leant back against her cushions. "Even if I do agree to this, heck, even if we _can_ find her soul, I'm gonna need her body to put it back in."

"It's at Bobby's..." Andie said slowly.

"Well, it's not gonna do me much good there, is it?"

Andie thought for a moment. "Ellie!!" She bellowed up to the sky. "I know you can hear me! Pop on in!"

"No need to yell, dear..." Ellie said softly from behind Zoe, making the girl jump. "Sorry, I'll warn you next time."

"Crap; is there an angel in my house?" Pamela made a face.

"Ellie." She greeted her as she sat beside Zoe on the couch. "I understand you don't like angels, I'm not here to try and convince you otherwise."

"Good to know," Pamela smirked. "'Cos you won't."

"I need you to bring Cassidy's body here." Andie asked urgently.

A flicker of uncertainty flashed across her face. "Sam's watching her; if I go in there they're gonna wanna come with..." Ellie gave up her argument when she saw the desperation in her grandchild's eyes. "Alright..." She sighed. "Alright, I'll bring her here."

"My back room's where I do my work," Pamela spoke up. "There's a table in there, centre of the room, which you can lay her on."

Ellie nodded, and Pamela nodded back, regardless of Pamela's lack of vision it seemed as though they understood each other. "I'll be back soon." Ellie promised Andie before she rose to her feet, gave Zoe a reassuring pat on the shoulder and flitted off into nothingness.

"I don't think I'm ever gonna get used to that..." Zoe mumbled, rubbing her forehead.

"Join the club," Pamela got uneasily to her feet, Zoe immediately reached out to help her. "Thanks, sweetie, but I know my way around my own home."

Zoe smiled apologetically out of habit and let go of Pamela's arm. She did know her way around very well considering all the furniture obstacles that even Andie bumped into. The two girls watched Pamela make her

"Forgive me for sounding like a broken record," Zoe muttered when Pamela was out of earshot. "But I'm still not sure why I'm here...is it some sort holding hands-Kumbaya thing?"

"Funnily enough I don't go searching for souls every day so I got no idea," Andie replied begrudgingly.

Zoe pouted. "Ok, you could drop the attitude y'know. I've been pretty easygoing about all of this. My friend is dead," She started listing these events on her fingers. "You're a-a-a Nephilim-thing with an angel of a grandmother who, whilst lovely, has a penchant for popping in unannounced, and we're enlisting the help of a blind psychic to locate a missing soul," She raised her eyebrows. "Most people, even hunters, would go running for the hills right now considering all that."

Andie sighed and slapped her hands at her sides. "What do you want from me?"

Zoe shrugged. "How about a little gratitude?"

"Fine, I'm sorry," Andie sighed, knowing her apology did not sound at all genuine. "I'm just... all of this is... I'm sorry." She repeated; more sincerely this time. "Really."

A smile tugged at Zoe's lips. "Wanna hug it out?"

Andie smirked. "God, no."

**xxx**


	39. Chapter 39: The Power Of Three

***the character of Zoe Mitchell is an OC belonging to the lovely Eryn (Frostpaw/Frost Hobbit on here) who let me borrow her for a second chapter!***

**EXTRA NOTE: Forgive my shoddy Latin; used an online translator just like the genius's of the world :);]**

**Chapter 39**

_The Power Of Three_

Zoe wandered cautiously through Pamela's walk in cupboard. It was packed high with herbs, stones and oils she used for her work; she had sent Zoe in there to find and Araskh candle, a thick, solid, white candle with a black wick. It was hard to miss; Zoe found it right away on the third shelf; just where Pamela said it would be.

Having never been present for a "soul location ceremony" before, Zoe had no idea what to expect. It was hard enough for her to try and wrap her head around the fact that Cassidy was dead, it seemed like such a foreign concept to her. Apparently to Andie as well; considering the lengths she was willing to go to bring her back. Zoe wasn't sure if she would be able to do it. _I guess if you love someone enough...you'll do anything,_ she smiled sadly as she headed back towards Andie who was waiting in the back room.

"I found the candle Pamela wanted," Zoe said as she walked, the thing was so heavy she needed to use both hands to carry it. "I guess for a candle that's meant to help find a lost soul it's gotta be big..." She trailed off when she noticed Andie didn't respond. "What is it?"

"She looks the same." Andie's voice was shaky, disturbed.

For the first time, Zoe looked into the room, and saw Cassidy's body, still and lifeless, lying delicately on the table in the centre of the room. Zoe gasped and dropped the candle.

"I thought she'd look different..." Andie continued, her face like stone. "She just looks the same..."

"Maybe, uh..." Zoe cleared her throat and forced herself not to look at her friend's body. "Maybe you should wait in the other room while Pamela gets-gets everything, ah, ready..."

"Yeah..." Andie replied vaguely. "Yeah..." she retreated slowly into the hallway, her arms tightly encased around her middle.

Zoe picked up the candle and turned so Cass's body wasn't in her peripheral. Pamela was making her way towards her with another candle in her hands. _"Santisima Muerte_," She said waving the thin, crimson candle. "Represents the Mexican Goddess of Death, also known as the Lady of the Land of the Dead. They believed she was a protector of souls residing in the dark underworld...it's a favourite with Satanists but," Pamela pursed her lips. "Figured the poor girls soul might be anywhere by this stage." She paused in the doorway beside Zoe. "What happened in here?"

"C-Cassidy..." Zoe stammered.

"I know, she's here, I heard the angel bring her in," Pamela gestured to the air between her and Zoe. "I meant this freaky feeling I'm getting..."

"Andie."

"Ah, she saw the body, huh?" Pamela sucked in a deep breath. "Yeah; that'll floor even the strongest person... one of the good things about missing my eyes; I don't really miss them."

Zoe tried to laugh, but it was a strangled giggle more than anything else.

"If you want to wait with Andie," Pamela offered. "That's cool; like I said, I know my away from my own house. I can set this up."

Zoe drew in a deep, calming breath and forced her voice to sound as strong and steady as she could. "No, I can do this..." As soon as she said it, she knew she was right. "I can do this."

In the living room, Andie found herself curled up on one of Pamela's single sofa chairs chewing on her thumbnail. Something was wrong with her; something felt so wrong. The moment she'd seen Cassidy's body, everything she had planned to do, everything she'd set out to achieve, just disappeared from her mind and was taken over by this heavy feeling of discomfort. Like she'd failed without even having tried. She wasn't sure how long she sat there in that chair, but she could hear Zoe and Pamela's muffled voices as they shifted things around in preparation. They didn't ask for her help; probably because they knew she would decline.

When Andie heard the roar of the engine, it didn't jog her memory like it usually did, when she heard his footsteps, she didn't turn her head to greet him because she didn't really realize he was there.

"Look, sorry, alright?" Dean said from behind the sofa as he came into the room. "Maybe I shouldn't have said what I said; but I was..." He moved around the chair. "I was angry..." He caught sight of Andie's profile. "Morgan...?" She looked like death; her appearance almost made him recoil. "What happened?" He sat on the coffee table facing her. "Did you...is Cass...?"

"You were right." She croaked; her eyes focused on a chip on the corner of the coffee table; she didn't want to look him in the eyes. "I can't do it; I can't bring her back."

"Have you tried?"

"I couldn't do what Castiel wanted me to," she said gravely. "He doesn't believe I can do this. I couldn't do anything he asked of me in that junkyard... I can't control my power. It's the one thing I _have_ been able to control and now it's failing me when I need it the most, and I don't understand why!" She covered her face with her hands and pressed her forehead against her palms. "You couldn't live one day without Sam before you sold your soul," She sniffled and leant back against the couch. "And I've lived five days without Cass," She gulped. "That's enough. Ok?" Her eyes met Dean's. "It's enough."

"Andie..." Dean said softly. "You're strong. You're _meant_ to be here... you... you can do anything. The whole time I've known you; if you want something you get it. You don't care what anyone says or thinks; all that matters is that it's what _you_ want. And that is being strong."

She sighed. "But I don't wanna be angry anymore, Dean..." Andie admitted after a moment. "I don't wanna feel sad or depressed or frustrated or confused," her chin quivered as the emotion once again came over her. "Just _once_, for five minutes, I wanna feel good." She stifled a sob. "I want something _good_!"

Dean reached out and pulled her towards him by her shoulders; meeting her lips with a tender kiss. It didn't last five minutes; but it was all he could think to do. "If you need want my help occasionally..." He paused and bit his lip. "It doesn't make you weak, Morgan."

"Then why do I feel that way?"

Dean shrugged and threaded his fingers through hers. "You're just a little screwed up; that's all." He smiled.

Andie let herself laugh. "That's all?" She echoed with a smirk. "And that makes me strong?"

"Makes you perfect."

Andie lifted her eyes to meet his and found herself grinning. "Where'd you pull that line from?"

"Thought of it myself, right on the spot," Dean replied proudly.

Andie laughed and looped her arms around his neck. He took that as a sign and stood up; making her stand with him. "You know you can do this, right?" He quietly said into her ear.

"Yeah, I know," she replied into his shoulder; hugging him tightly. "Thank you for reminding me." She mumbled.

"Andie?" Zoe's voice called gently from the hallway. "Pamela says we're ready now."

Andie detached from Dean, sucked in a deep breath and rubbed the tears out of her eyes. "Good." She smiled strongly. "That's perfect."

**xxx**

Andie was as sceptical of psychics and witchcraft as Dean, so standing in a circle holding both Pamela and Zoe's hands with Cassidy's lifeless body lying in a rope ring surrounded by candles was definitely one of the more uncomfortable moments of her life.

Pamela was chanting under her breath; her eyes were closed and her expression was unmoving apart from the slight rippling of her lips as she chanted a Latin spell. "_Phasmatis of orbis terrarum sand quod mare, convoco aborior suus penuriosus pectus pectoris solvo, reverto suus animus quo is vadum habito quod iungo suus pectus pectoris tergum ut suus bodily crusta._"

Latin was never Andie's strong suit, so she didn't join in. She did all she could think of whilst Pamela chanted. She thought of Cassidy. Castiel had told her over and over again that visualization was _key _to her locating power; she had to _see_ what she wanted. Often that meant she had no idea where she was going; but she could get there anyway. That's how it worked. She had to use it right now in the same way.

Her mind was as clear as she could make it, she thought of Cassidy, but only positive thoughts. She didn't think of the way she been killed; she didn't think of the way she'd looked on that gurney when she'd died. She thought of the way she laughed, the way she fought Andie on every argument and yet still managed to make her smile, the way she was always there without a thought. The way she loved her like family; because she _was_ family.

"Oh!" Pamela gasped and her eyes flew open, the white pseudo eyeballs she had in place were glowing like candescent globes.

A sudden wind began to whirl around the three women, like a storm was gushing through even though the sunlight was peeking through the heavy curtains draped over the windows.

"I can feel her soul!" Pamela cried out, a strike of agony crossing her face. "Agh; Andie whatever you're doing; keep doing it!" She forced her eyes closed and began chanting again. "_Phasmatis of orbis terrarum sand quod mare..._"

So Andie thought; that's all she could do. She thought of the happiest times she'd had with Cassidy, the times when she'd needed her the most, the times when their bond had been strongest.

"Agh," Pamela's head twitched from side to side. "Zoe; chant with me! Just repeat what I say! _Phasmatis of orbis terrarum sand quod mare!_"

Zoe, terrified at the swirling wind, struggled to form the words. "Pha...Phasma..orbterra...."

"No, listen to me!" Pamela shot her blind eyes at Zoe, piercing them into her. "Repeat as I say. _Phasmatis of orbis terrarum sand quod mare._"

Suddenly full of confidence, Zoe opened her mouth, surprised at the confidence that came through in her voice. "_Phasmatis of orbis terrarum sand quod mare._"

"_Convoco aborior suus penuriosus pectus pectoris solvo."_

_"Convoco aborior suus penuriosus pectus pectoris solvo." _Zoe echoed.

Andie didn't chant; her eyes fell upon Cassidy's tiny frame of a body because she could have sworn she saw her move.

Like a jolt of lightning had hit her, Cassidy's body lurched forwards. Her eyes snapped open and she began gasping for breath. Her body contorted into rigid, horrific positions as her rasping breaths turned to sickly croaking pants.

"It's not going to hold!" Pamela yelled over the whirling wind.

"It has to!" Zoe cried, her frightened eyes stuck on Cassidy's rigid form.

"I can't hold it!" Pamela cried in agony; squeezing Andie and Zoe's hands as tight as should could. "Agghh; they don't want to let her go!"

"Make them!" Andie bellowed.

"I'm trying!" Pamela hissed. "_Phasmatis of orbis terrarum sand quod mare-_

_"__Convoco aborior suus penuriosus pectus pectoris solvo."_ Zoe continued.

Then the pair of them chanted in unison. "_Reverto suus animus quo is vadum habito quod iungo suus pectus pectoris tergum ut suus bodily crusta._"

Again, Andie said nothing. She just kept her eagle eyes on Cassidy's body, waiting... hoping... and then she couldn't wait anymore.

"Cassidy?" Andie yanked her hands out of Zoe and Pamela's fingers and fell forwards onto her knees beside the convulsing body of her best friend. "Cassidy; can you hear me?" She tried to hold her down but her body just kept flailing. "Dammit, Cass, come on!" Exhaustion and terror welled within the tears in her eyes as she tried to focus.

_"Phasmatis of orbis terrarum sand quod mare," _Zoe and Pamela chanted in strong, commanding voices.

Andie dug into her jeans pocket and found her pocketknife; something in her mind told her what she had to do. The reason for their connection; their bond was cemented because their blood ran in each other's veins. Sliding the blade out she cut across the old scar on her palm, the one Cassidy had given her so many years ago, and winced as the scarlet blood trickled out of the freshly opened wound.

_"Convoco aborior suus penuriosus pectus pectoris solvo,"_

"My blood," She said firmly, clasping Cassidy's left hand and holding to it like a vice. She quickly sliced open the matching scar she had on her palm. "Your blood," She said as she watched her friend bleed, her heart racing.

"_Reverto suus animus quo is vadum habito quod iungo suus pectus pectoris tergum ut suus bodily crusta!"_

Andie pressed her bleeding scar against Cassidy's, feeling the warmth of her blood mix with her own. "Our blood."

The wind fell dead.

The room was silent.

Then Cassidy gripped Andie's hand and an electric pulse shocked her so hard she would have been thrown back had her friend not been holding her. Zoe and Pamela were both tossed off their feet to either sides of the room.

Panting, Andie looked down at her best friend, her blonde hair wiry and frazzled, her skin pale white and dirty, and her hand, soft and cool, clasping her back. "Cass?" She whispered tentatively.

Her breath was raspy, but normal; her eyes were terrified, but clear as she tilted her head up. "A-Andie?" She croaked out.

Andie burst into a fit of tears. "Oh, my God!" She clasped her friend around her neck and held her close. "Oh, my God!"

"Andie?" Cassidy was crying too, tears of uncertainty and complete confusion. "What happened? What the Hell happened to me?" She sobbed.

"It's ok," Andie pulled back and took her friend's face between her hands. "You're safe now, you're gonna be okay, all right?"

"Wait..." A look of shock crossed Cass's face. "I was... I died. I remember... Anna... she was inside me... you shot me... you saved me and I died!"

"It's ok," Andie tried to smile. "I promise," She threw her arms around her again. "Everything's going to be okay now."

**xxx**


	40. Chapter 40: After The Fall

***the character of Zoe Mitchell is an OC belonging to the lovely Eryn (Frostpaw/Frost Hobbit on here) who has agreed to let me keep writing her***

**Chapter 40**

_After The Fall_

"My name is Cassidy Lauren Murphy, I was born July 7 1983. I've been hunting since I was seventeen and Andie Morgan sucks donkey balls."

"She sounds fine to me." Andie deadpanned.

"Rules is rules," Dean said apologetically as he took the iron dagger out of Cassidy's hand, ending the process they'd been running her through to make sure a demon hadn't travelled back with her soul. Currently she was sitting in a Devil's Trap in Pamela's work room with holy water still dripping down her face.

"Can we let her out of the Devil's Trap now?" Zoe piped up from the couch, watching her friend cautiously. "If she wanted us dead, I'm pretty sure she woulda done it already."

Dean rubbed away some of the chalk of the sigil and Cassidy walked out of the magical binding. Everyone watched her; as if waiting for her to transform into something horrible and dangerous. "Guys," She found herself laughing. "I'm okay. Relax."

"You look good, Cass," Sam smiled warmly at her.

She gave him a half smile. "Thanks, Sammy. You look...big."

Zoe couldn't help herself; she took three long strides and scooped up Cassidy in her arms. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Our stupid fight." Zoe rolled her eyes, the infancy of that argument still niggling at her.

"Oh, about my bitch over there," Cassidy winked at Andie. "Don't worry," she squeezed Zoe's hands. "We're good. Always."

"Bitch?" Andie repeated. "I _did_ save your life."

"And I love you for it; you know that." Cass smiled, the look between them sharing the emotion they needn't say. Not in front of everyone, anyway. "So, I was out for five days, huh?"

"Six." Andie corrected her. "Clocked ticked over to midnight. It was six."

"I guess you have a lot to catch up on." Sam spoke up.

"Not as much as you might think, m'boy." Cassidy smiled knowingly and turned to Andie. "I know about your grandmother and her... angel-ness."

Andie tilted her head to the side. "How?"

"Who do you think directed my soul back into my rocking body?" She put her hands on her hips and struck a pose. "You did the navigating; she did the transportation. Morgan power_ for the win_. Remind me to thank her when she shows up."

"Pops up; more like it." Zoe muttered, to which Andie gave her a sly grin.

"We should get back to Bobby's before it gets light out," Dean spoke up. "Decide what our next move's gonna be now that we got our girl back." He gave Cassidy a cheeky grin.

Cassidy beamed. "I'm glad I was so missed."

**xxx**

The loud hooting of an owl startled Dean out of a comfortable dream, and a rather arousing dream at that, in one of Bobby's spare rooms. Forcing himself to keep his eyes closed and just go back to sleep; Dean groped for Andie's body beside him, eager to re-enact his dream, but his fingers only became tangled up in the cool fabric of the blanket. "Andie?" He whispered loudly, lifting her head off the pillow. She wasn't even in the room. He crept out into the hall, expecting to have to search high and low for her, but she was just standing there, staring into the bedroom Cassidy was sleeping in.

Letting out a sigh that he know she heard, Dean wandered over beside her. "What are you doing?"

"Just watching her..." Andie whispered.

Dean peered into the room and saw Cassidy sleeping soundly cuddled up in bed. She'd basically been asleep since they'd brought her back from Pamela's. She was shaken; but she seemed okay. As okay as someone who'd just been resurrected could feel; and Dean was more than aware of how that felt. "She's going to be alright, Andie," He reassured her. "You did it; you saved her."

"I'm still not sure how..." Andie whispered through a wry smile. "Up until she started breathing, I was so...afraid... that it hadn't worked. And that I would have tried everything and she'd still be gone."

"You don't have to worry about that now." He gently nudged her shoulder.

Andie smiled timidly at him. "Zoe's taking Cassidy back home tomorrow...I'm going with them."

Dean furrowed his brow. "Whoa, what?"

"Not for long, I mean... not forever, I just..." She pulled the door closed and pulled Dean by the hand further down the hall. "It's just...this week has been so hard..."

"Yeah," Dean leant back against the wall. "All this angel stuff...but Morgan, you can't run away from-"

"I'm not running away," Andie smiled confidently. "I'm really not. Running away would be letting Zoe take Cass home and me _not_ helping her recover." She sighed. "Look, when you died... she was with me every day, helping put me back together. What kinda friend would I be if I didn't do the same thing for her? She's infuriating, annoying and I hate her," She slung her hands over Dean's shoulders. "But she's my soul mate."

"Andie, I get that, I really do, but why can't she just stay with us?" He knew he sounded like he was pleading; but he didn't care. "The both of you; stay."

"She can't hunt right now, Dean, you know that." Andie pointed out. "And she's weak. I have to keep her safe; get her strength back up." She pressed her hands against Dean's firm chest, sighing as she felt his racing heartbeat. "And I can't do that if I'm hunting with you and Sam."

"Yes, you can." Dean countered stubbornly. "It's simple; don't go." He flashed her that wicked, cheeky grin.

Andie smiled and pressed a kiss against his cheek. "You're a dork." She muttered.

"Yes, I am." He beamed mischievously.

Andie pressed a deeper kiss directly onto his lips. "I love it." She murmured against his mouth.

"I'm glad." Dean mumbled and slid his hands down her waist, cupping her hips and lifting her legs up around his waist. Holding her close, he carried her back to their bedroom, her girlish squeals muffled by his continued kiss.

They didn't actually say the words, because they both knew it wasn't a goodbye. It was just a time in their lives where they both needed to be in two different places. Still together, even though they were apart. They were strong, they would survive and they would stay together. It had nothing to do with being married or even the fact that they were in love; they were family now. And you never leave family behind.

**xxx**

_Two days later - Minneapolis, Minnesota  
_

Cassidy stared at herself in the mirror; fiddling with her damp blonde hair. She'd dyed it this colour because of Zoe; but she liked it and now it had grown on her. Maybe she'd keep it this time. For a few more months, at least. A sharp knock on the bathroom door reminded Cassidy that she was, indeed, home. Her mother never let her stay in the bathroom long.

Since Zoe and Andie had dropped her back home the day before, Cassidy had been trying to reacquaint herself with her family. Her mother had never approved of hunting and her father, while supportive, wasn't all that knowledgeable in what she did.

Neither of them knew that she had recently been resurrected from the dead, either.

Home was supposed to feel like home... but it didn't. The truth was; it never did. That's why Cassidy had left so many years ago. She didn't fit into her mother's cookie cutter life, but that was okay. Lauren preferred to tell her friends that her daughter was travelling through Europe; not traipsing all over the country hunting down demons.

There was another knock at the door.

"Yeh; hang on!" Cass hollered.

The door opened anyway and Andie snuck in, quietly shutting the door behind her. "God, woman, I told you not to leave me alone with your mother."

"Sorry."

"She was really delighting in telling me how dangerous our lives are. I'm definitely, definitely convinced telling her about your little... y'know... dying episode; then we'll live through this. Pardon the pun."

"Great."

"Ok, that's a total of five words. And for someone who talks a mile a minute, it's enough to worry me."

"I don't feel right, Morgan." Cassidy admitted, turning her towel covered body towards her friend. "Something feels... off."

"Well... you were dead three days ago." Andie said reasonably.

"I don't think I can handle all this; being home. Mum and her craziness, Dad pretending like I was never gone... and Carter being in prison _yet again_."

"What did your brother do this time?" Andie asked, a smirk playing at her lips. Cass's miscreant of an older brother was a great source of entertainment for them. Sure, it was mean for them to tease him, but he managed to get himself in the weirdest situations.

"Knocked over a supermarket and then tossed all the money in the river." Cass pulled her damp hair back into a loose ponytail. "His defence was something like "_How is it robbery if I don't keep the money_?" She rolled her eyes and sighed.

Andie smiled and carefully watched her; the old Cassidy would have laughed. She knew she was naive to think everything would just go back to normal straight away, she just didn't like seeing her oldest friend this way. "I promise things will get better, Cass."

Cassidy sighed and unabashedly started to get dressed; she'd never had an issue changing in front of Andie. "Still, I don't know if being with my parents is the right move..."

Andie chewed her lip. "You're right. The old you hated it here; that's why you left." She stopped short; hoping Cass would let that slide; but of course she didn't.

"The _old_ me?" She repeated. "I'm still me, Andie... aren't I?"

"Yes, yes you are, I'm sorry, I just. Misspoke. I just mean, before all of this you hated living at home so," She smacked her forehead. "Why I thought bringing you back here would be a good thing, I don't know."

"So what do you suggest?" Cass asked as she shuffled into her jeans.

"Zoe's still in town, but she's headed back to Iowa. We could tag along? Might do you some good – some _better _good – hanging with her."

"Yeah, ok," Cass agreed hesitantly as she yanked on a yellow and red striped singlet. "Sounds good."

"Why'd you never tell me about Zoe, by the way?" Andie asked; sitting herself up cross-legged on the turned down toilet seat. "She seems pretty awesome. Hell, she helped me save you so that gives her a few points."

Cassidy cast a proud smile towards her friend. "Well, I never... Andie Morgan making friends. Are you sure I was only dead six days?"

"Har-har." Andie grunted. "Also befriended an FBI agent who helped me smuggle your body out of the morgue, so checkmate."

"I'm speechless." Cass quipped.

Andie smiled, this was more like it. This was more like her Cass. She just had to take it slow; things would get better. She would get better. _Please_, Andie silently begged her grandmother, _let her get better..._

**xxx**

_Three days later - Des Moines, Iowa_

As she walked confidently between Andie and Zoe, Cassidy tried to ignore the niggling in the centre of her stomach. It felt like nerves, but it wasn't. It also felt like anxiety, but it wasn't that either. It was just... something. A feeling.

It was strange; Cassidy knew how she was _meant_ to be acting. She knew what she was supposed to say, how she was supposed to act. She knew she was Cassidy and wanted to be her; but she didn't feel like her. She knew she wanted to stride into that bar and flirt with whatever guy looked her way; but that niggle made her apprehensive. And she didn't like it.

Zoe knew _Sully's Bar_ from her younger days and, though she hadn't been there in a year or so, she knew the food and beer was always good. Declan, the head chef, was a connoisseur and all of his meals were heavenly. Zoe took charge of ordered for the trio whilst Andie and Cass found an empty booth to sit in by the jukebox in a dark corner of the pub.

"We used to go to bars like this," Andie explained as they sat down. "We like to-"

"Yeah, pub crawls, I know, Morgan." Cass chuckled. "I didn't lose my memory."

"I'm just trying to be helpful."

Cassidy narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Something must have happened to you... because I do _not_ remember you being this sweet and attentive."

"Well, you try living without you for a week and see how you pull up." Andie tried to pass it off as a joke; but the pain in her voice came through anyway.

"I'm back now, Andie. And I'm staying for good this time. No more running off. What's the point in having a demon hunting best friend I only see every six months?" She smiled. "Other than the fact I only have to deal with you every six months."

Andie could do nothing but grin. "I missed you."

"Likewise."

"Whew..." Andie let out a low whistle when she caught sight of the dangerously cute bartender. "Take a look at what's tending the bar..."

Cassidy cast her eyes to the handsome bartender. He was obviously gorgeous, about a head taller than Cassidy with dark brown eyes and coffee-coloured curls shaggily decorating his head. He had a slight gap between his front teeth; but that just seemed to add to his appeal. "Yeah, he's... he's cute."

"Oh, Cass, you should do him." Andie said, eagerly smacking her hand against the table.

"What?"

"You know, go with the flow. Thread the needle, think outside the box."

"You sound like a cartoon."

"Who does?" Zoe joined the conversation as she returned.

"Apparently me," Andie replied. "For suggesting Cass get a little flirty-flirty with the cutie bartender." She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder towards him.

"Oh, god," Zoe did a double take as she saw him. "Luka Daniels."

"You know him?"

"Yeah, I dated him," She said. "Years and years ago when I was in a bit of a rough patch." She waved her hand dismissively. "He's a sweetie..."

"Oh, well, then forget it, you should never date a friends boyfriend. Ex or current. Found that out the hard way."

"When?"

"When she made out with my boyfriend on Spring Break." Cassidy dobbed her in.

"It was the day we met." Andie muttered to Zoe. "And for the last time, I did not know you were together." She hissed at Cassidy. "And _you_ cracked me over the head with that umbrella!"

"Then _you_ knocked out my two front teeth!"

"I didn't _mean_ too, _and_ I apologized; what more could I do?"

"You two; knock it off," Zoe hushed down their playful yet harsh bickering. "He's coming over."

"Zoe..." Luka smiled as he placed three beers down on the table in front of each woman. "Thought that was you."

"Hey, Luka," Zoe smiled nervously. "I didn't think you'd still be here."

"Yeah, well after college my mum got sick so I stuck around here to help out. She's fine," He answered quickly when he saw the worry cross Zoe's face. "I just kinda fell into this job and... I guess I'm still stuck..." His smile drifted over towards the other two women at the booth. "Hi."

"I'm Andie," Andie introduced herself. "This is Cassidy." She waved. "You seem just delightful; would you like to join us?"

"Andie." Cass hissed in her ear.

Luka laughed. "Actually, my shift ends in about ten minutes, so..."

"Then, yeh, you should join us." Zoe shared a smirk with Andie. "Definitely."

"Ok, well... I'll see you then." He smiled at all three of them before he headed back to the bar.

"He is like twelve kinds of yummy..." Andie muttered as she watched him go.

"You're married." Zoe reminded her.

"I know, but Dean and I have an agreement. I agree not to tell him when I check out a hot bartender's ass." She grinned and took a sip of her beer. "Anyway; he's not for me, he's for you."

"You're a strange kind of grown up." Zoe mused.

"Aren't I?" Andie grinned in agreement.

**xxx**


	41. Chapter 41: Never Ending Battle

***the character of Zoe Mitchell is an OC belonging to the lovely Eryn (Frostpaw/Frost Hobbit on here) who has agreed to let me keep writing her***

**Chapter 41:**

_Never Ending Battle_

The three young women headed back to their hotel just down the road from the bar. Luka had to cancel their little post-work gathering when another bartender called in sick, so he had to stay and keep working. Tired from their journey, Cass, Zoe and Andie traipsed back to the motel and all collapsed on their respective beds. Andie, having drawn the short straw, flopped onto the couch. Cass called first dibs on the bathroom and went to take a shower whilst Zoe and Andie stayed in the living room mindlessly flipping through TV channels.

When it became clear there was nothing on but TV evangelists and infomercials, Andie clicked off the television and turned to her new friend. "So, you and Luka..." She spoke up. "I sensed tension back there."

"Yeh... my fault, I guess." Zoe muttered as she stretched out her arms and yawned. "Like I said, I was in a bad place and I guess... I dunno; he wanted to rescue me. But I didn't want him to." She smiled sadly.

"So, you don't mind if..." Andie started to say, unsure of how to word it. Relationships and/or friendships were definitely _not_ her forte. "I mean... what I said at the bar... Luka and Cass?"

Zoe gave a wry smile. "Are you asking if I'm cool with it?"

"Yes, that is what I'm asking."

"Yes, I'm cool with it." Zoe smiled confidently. "Luka is a great guy. Funny, sweet, completely unaware of how cute he is... plus, he knows _nada_ about demons so that could be a plus." Andie gave her an odd look. "I know _you and I_ just met, but Cassidy has been my friend for almost three years now. You're not the only one who knows what she's like," Zoe paused. "Or the only one who wants her back to normal."

"So you agree that the best way to do that-"

"Is by making her do things that she used to do. Like flirt with cutie bartenders." Zoe smiled and yawned again.

"Huh..." Andie furrowed her brow. "Is it weird that I've only known you like a week and you can finish my sentences?"

Zoe just laughed.

After Cass came out of the shower, she sensed something was going on by the very weird smiles she was getting from Andie and Cassidy. Almost too happy, like they were about to yell "surprise!" for some reason.... She paused by her bed and glanced between them. "What the hell are you two grinning about?"

"We want you to go talk to Luka." Zoe blurted out with a grin. "We think it'd be good for you, y'know, to do some stuff like you used to."

"What exactly are you implying?" Cass said defensively.

"That's not what we mean." Zoe waved a dismissive hand at her.

"We're talking about getting back in the game – with Luka." Andie grinned from ear to ear. "When Dean came outta hell he was going on about being all cleansed and stuff; rehymenated, I believe was the term he used."

Cassidy scoffed. "Are you kidding?"

"Why not?" Andie was almost bouncing in her seat. "He's the perfect manwhore. Hot, funny, charming... and completely oblivious to demons. Come on, homegirl, go tap that!

"_Homegirl_? _Tap that_?" Cass repeated with a crinkled brow. "Crap, Andie, how long was I dead?"

"She found the mini-bar." Zoe explained.

"Ah, tequila." Cassidy nodded in understanding as she noted the empty mini bottle of liquor on the nightstand. "My sweetheart's weak spot."

Andie made a finger gun and clicked it at Cass whilst winking. "You know it."

"Y'know, I actually think he liked you." Zoe piped up.

"He talked to us for like ten seconds." Cass pointed out.

Zoe simply shrugged. "Then it can't hurt to go back and talk to him _again_."

"Yeah, and you can return this." Andie suddenly dug a leather wallet from her jeans and waved in front of her face.

"You stole his wallet!" Cass snatched it from her hands and double-checked the ID. "Why?"

Andie gave her a strange look. "What do you mean, "why"?"

"Ok," Cass pushed her down onto the bed by her shoulders. "You sleep now." She let out a huge sigh as she yanked her jeans on over her boxer shorts. "Fine, I will take this back to him but that will be it. No flirting. No chit-chatting." She pointed a threatening finger down at Andie. "And _no_ de-hymenation."

"I lurve you..." Andie muttered as her eyes fluttered closed.

"Wake her up in an hour," Cass said to Zoe. "She gets migraines if she sleeps through the night after having tequila." Shrugging on her leather jacket, she headed out. "I'll be back soon," She tried to ignore the grin on Zoe's face. "Stop that. Back soon, got it?"

"Oh yeh, I totally got it." Zoe giggled.

**xxx**

Andie resented being woken up during her sleeping off period; but it did stop her tequila inspired migraines. So while Zoe prepped for bed, Andie went to take shower. Cassidy still wasn't back, but Andie wasn't worried. Everything in her heart told her that pushing Cass to act like she used to would help her fall back into that routine. As Andie ducked out of the shower and slipped a towel around her body, she heard the buzzing of her cell phone on the edge of the counter. With quick glance at the clock on the wall, she knew who it would be. "Y'know, stalkers call their victims at the same time every day. So do serial killers, in fact."

"You watch too much CSI." Dean quipped back. "How's Iowa? The three of you kill each other yet?"

"I take offence to that."

"Andie, apart from your girlie bits – which I love by the way – you're basically a dude." Dean said through a yawn. "As long as I've known you, you don't get on well with the womenfolk."

"Womenfolk?" Andie repeated.

"Babes? Dames? Broads? Hotties? Chicks?" Dean listed. "I got plenty more."

"You're an ass." Andie smirked. "And FYI? Cass, Zoe and I are getting on like a house on fire."

There was a pause. "You didn't actually start a fire, did you?"

"Like I said," Andie smirked. "Ass."

"Well, Sammy and I stumbled upon a douche of a case," Dean muttered in disdain. "Magicians."

Andie could practically see his eyes rolling. "How fun for you."

"What about you guys, anything demony going on in Iowa?"

"Actually no," Andie said with a sigh of relief. "It's been... peaceful. Maybe _that's_ an omen."

"Maybe. Wow... we are so damaged." He chuckled. "Say, goodnight Andie."

"Goodnight, Andie." She smiled and hung up her phone.

**xxx**

Meanwhile, back at the bar, Cassidy had found herself chatting with the adorable Luka Daniels. He was coming off his double shift when she'd arrived and was kicking back with a root beer. He offered her a free drink as a thank you for returning his wallet, and she took it. Now, hours later, they were still talking.

He was very genuine, seemingly unaware of how attractive he was, which ironically made him even _more _attractive. Considering the age bracket of the citizens of this town; it was likely not a lot of squealing teenage girls made it into a bar like this to gawk at him. And even if they did, Luka didn't seem the type to enjoy that kind of attention.

"So, my mum started to get better but I still didn't want to leave her in case she had a relapse or something," Luka was saying as he finished off his root beer. "So I declined the offer from Iowa State University and stayed here."

"What were you going to study?" Cassidy asked, twirling her straw in her drink.

"Agriculture."

Cassidy had to force herself not to make a face. "Sounds... thrilling." To her surprise, Luka laughed.

"I get that a lot," He chuckled. "I guess it's one of those fields' that's only interesting to people who're involved in it. Anyway, how about you? Are you a student somewhere?"

"Ah, no, no I am not." Cassidy talked into her glass of diet coke. "I guess I'm sorta... freewheeling it right now."

"How long have you been friends with Zoe?" He asked, trying to make it sound casual.

"Couple of years." She answered easily; one of Cass's many talents was the ability to diffuse the tension in a situation or conversation. "She's a great girl."

"Yeah, yeah..." Luka nodded in agreement. "I guess she told you about me."

"A little." Cass smiled. "Just that you were together and she was in a rough patch; things didn't work out."

"No... they did not." Luka gave a grimace-like smile and twirled the melting ice around in his glass. "But that was a long time ago." He sighed. "A lot's changed..."

"Yeah," Cassidy ran her hand over the scar on her palm, noticeably pinker than it had been before her resurrection, as if it was a fresh cut. Although since Andie had slit it open again, it was likely to be considerably more visible than it had been. "I know what you mean."

"Luka!" A heavy-set man with a salt-and-pepper beard called out behind the bar. "I'm 'bout to lock up; time to head on out."

"Oh," Cass checked her watch and saw that it was almost three in the morning. She'd told Andie and Zoe she'd be back before midnight. "Crap, I have to go."

Luka slid out of the both in sync with her. "Do you need a ride somewhere?"

"No, no," Cass smiled thankfully. "We're in a motel just down the road past the lake, I can walk."

"I'll walk with you."

"No, that's ok." Cass declined politely.

"Hey, I'm not coming onto you." Luka said with a grin as they approached the exit. "It's just... dark out."

Cass sent him a wry smile. "So you're gonna be my big, strong, burly protector?"

"Something like that." He held the door open for her. "After you." He smiled.

"Thanks," Cassidy bundled her leather coat tightly around her as they headed West up the road.

"So you never told me what you did... in the real world." Luka spoke up a moment later.

"Oh," Cass cleared her throat. "Well, right now I'm kinda between jobs..." She said quickly. She'd learned early on that saying she was a 'hunter' conjured up bizarre questions she preferred not to answer.

"Must be nice..." Luka muttered as he breathed in the cool night air. "Not to have anything tying you down."

Cass glanced at him. "You feel tied down?"

"Sometimes..." Luka laughed off the tension in his voice and craned his neck over to the lake. "Wow; it must be a cold night... never seen the fog lift like that before..."

Cassidy knew before she looked that she was going to see something supernatural. She'd always had that little extra sense when something demony was going on. But now there was something else; that niggle. It was there again. It was creeping up the back of her spine like someone was very gently grazing their finger across the back of her neck. Instinctively; she changed direction and headed towards the lake.

"It's called Advection Fog, if you were wondering," Luka touted knowledgeably as he followed Cassidy towards the lake. "Pretty common; just not out here. Mostly it's off coastlines and stuff..." They jogged down the shallow incline beside the water. "Ugh," Luka covered his nose with his sleeve. "You smell that?"

"Sulphur." Cass said, all too familiar with the scent that followed demons around. Feeling around in her pockets, Cass quickly realized she didn't have her cell phone. "Do you have a phone?" She asked Luka, her tone rising in urgency.

"Yeah, yeah," he pulled out his cell. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Just gimme," She snatched the phone and quickly dialled Andie's number. "Morgan, it's me, I need your help."

"Who is this?" She replied with a high inflection.

"Dammit, Andie, I'm at the lake by the motel with Luka. There's sulphur." She could hear nothing but heavy breathing on the other end of the line.

"We'll be right there," Andie said firmly. "Don't do anything stupid, Cass."

"Yeah," Cass hung up and thrust the phone back into Luka's hand. "You have to get out of here," She turned him around by his shoulders. "Go home, forget you came here."

"Wait, what? Are you kidding?" Luka was giving her a bizarre look. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Just go!" Cassidy shoved him up the incline, but she was too slow.

"Isn't this a nice view?" A melodic male voice said from behind her.

Spinning on her heel; Cassidy came face to face with a black-eyed demon wearing a pair of dirty overalls with a blue and white checked flannel shirt underneath.

"Wh-who the hell are you?" Luka stammered in shock. "Where'd you come from?!"

"Ahh..." The demon snatched up Cassidy in his arms. "Cassidy..."

"Hey!" Luka jumped down the incline and looped his arm around Cass's middle. "Let go of her!"

"No, no," The demon pressed his palm against Luka's chest. "No touching."

"Luka!" Cass cried as she watched him fly backwards and smack heavily against the side of the hill.

"Quiet!" The demon wrapped his hands around Cassidy's neck and squeezed gently. "Never thought I'd get to be the one to send you back where you belong..."

Cass grabbed the demons wrists and tried to pull him free, noting a tattooed sigil on his forearm depicting an X, a triangle and a cross all linked by a series of circled loops; she tried to lodge it in her memory as he quickly overpowered her. She gasped as he lifted her up off her feet, her throat closing off. She didn't see Andie and Zoe arrive, but when both she and the demon flew through the air and landed in the lake, Cass knew that Andie and her telekinetic ability had come to her rescue.

Free of the demon's grasp, Cass was able to stand up in the lake and smile shakily at Andie and Cass who were moving closer to the water's edge.

"Cass?" Luka was wading as quickly towards her as he could. "Are you alright?"

"Yeh, I'm fi-" She was cut off as the demon popped up out of the water behind her and grabbed her around the shoulders.

"Get off her!" Luka bellowed and snatched Cass's wrist.

"NO!" Cassidy screamed as the demon tightened its grip around her. She squeezed every muscle in her body and shut her eyes as tightly as she could. The big bang that exploded a moment later made her jump like she'd been given an electric shock, but it wasn't until she peered through her partially closed eyelids that she realized she was standing alone in the water. Luka was ahead of her, floating face down in the lake with Andie and Cass approaching him quickly. Cass spun around to see the remains of the demon collapsing into the water leaving only a vague smoke that mixed in with the fog.

Her heart racing and mind working a mile a minute to figure out what was going on, Cass trudged through the shallow water and made it to the bank where Zoe was checking over Luka. "He's ok; he's breathing," She said with relief. "What the hell happened?"

"There was a demon..." She panted. "He's gone." Cass looked expectantly at Andie. "What did you do?"

"Me? I didn't do anything." Andie replied, her brow furrowed. "That was you. You screamed and there was this big flash, like a power surge. Tossed Luka and the demon right off their feet."

"I...I did what?" Cass repeated in confusion, her head starting to throb with a killer migraine.

"I think..." Zoe rose to her feet slowly, her eyes scanning Cassidy up and down. "I think the shock was _you_, Cass..."

Refusing to believe that, Cassidy let out a humourless laugh. "It must have been something else..." She tried to reason. "Maybe it was a freak lightning bolt? You know I heard that lightning strikes earth 100 times a second, maybe it was that?" Cass started pacing. "Or maybe it was something to do with the lake? Y'know, Luka said that it looked different than normal? Or maybe it was that demon playing a trick on me... or-or maybe it was nothing?" She looked hopefully from Zoe to Andie. "Right? It could be nothing."

"Yeah, it could be nothing." Andie said solemnly. "But I think the more likely explanation," She sighed. "Is that we just found our first consequence of an angelic resurrection."

**xxx**


	42. Chapter 42: That Which Is Unforeseen

***the character of Zoe Mitchell is an OC belonging to the lovely Eryn (Frostpaw/Frost Hobbit on here) who has agreed to let me keep writing her***

**Chapter 42:**

_That Which Is Unforeseen _

Andie hung up her phone and grunted in frustration. "Bobby's not answering either." She said to Cassidy as they paced outside Luka's hospital room. "Dammit."

"Hey," Zoe asked as she crept out of the room and shut the door. "Any luck?"

Andie shook her head. "I left messages with Sam and Dean, Bobby's not answering and I screamed myself hoarse out in the parking lot for an hour for Castiel or Ellie. Nothing."

Zoe sighed, folded her arms and rested her head back against the wall. "Well... guess we're on our own for now..." She chewed her lip. "Maybe we should take _her_ to Bobby's?"

"No, no, no," Cass piped up from one of the plastic chairs that were lining the wall. "If I'm electrically charged do you really want me in a car? One zap and I'll blow us all to Kingdom Come."

"How's Luka?" Andie asked.

"Doctors say he'll be fine; they wanna keep him in for a couple of days to make sure his hearts okay; apparently you gave him quite a shock." She gave Cassidy wobbly smile.

"Did our story hold?" Andie inquired.

"I think so," Zoe said. "The doctor said he'd never seen a shock from an electric fence so severe but," She gave a loose shrug. "He didn't question me."

Cass let out a guttural sigh and hung her head between her knees. "I can't believe this is happening..."

"It'll be okay, Cass..." Zoe said vaguely, not hiding the fact that there was no confidence in her statement.

"Alright, you said you saw a sigil on the demon's wrist?" Andie said, happy to take charge and get them back on track.

"Yeah, yeah," Cass pulled out the scrap of paper she'd scribbled the symbol on. "I've never seen it before; but then again sigils ain't really my thing."

"We should go back to the motel," Andie decided. "Start looking up that symbol and try to track down whatever it is that's going on inside you." She jabbed her forefinger at Cass as the three of them headed towards the exit.

"What about Luka?" Zoe asked as they walked briskly down the empty hallway. "What are we going to tell him when he wakes up?"

"Maybe he won't remember anything..." Cass offered hopefully while Andie pulled open the door to let her and Zoe through.

"That's the spirit." Andie smirked as she trailed after them.

**xxx**

"Try Bobby again," Zoe groaned as she thumbed through yet another book on demonic sigils from the stash Andie had stuffed into her beloved Bug before they'd left Bobby's. "We suck at this." Ditching the books, Zoe slid Cass's laptop back in front of her and reconnected to the internet to see if perhaps researching Cassidy's electric ailment might ease the stress of searching for this demonic symbol.

"You're the smartass," Cass reminded her, mentally patting her back for remembering to nab the laptop when she'd ditched her parents' house a few days before.

"I prefer the term _genius_." Zoe replied as she tapped away at the keyboard.

"Enough," Andie cut in, pushing through her exhaustion as she, too, flipped through the pages of another book of symbols. "We are three majorly kick ass demon hunters. We do not need Bobby, or the angels or Sam or Dean to help us. Heck, I spent fifteen years on the street-"

"Here we go..." Cass mumbled.

"-fighting demons by myself, _without_ laptops and books and all this stuff. We can do this; we just-"

"Yes, Morgan, we get it." Cass cut in irritably. "You are made of everything that is awesome. You could kick Xena's ass from one side of Greece to the other."

"You're sounding more and more like you." Andie grinned in disdain.

"Yay." Cass nestled her head in the crook of her arm.

"No sleep!" Andie pointed her finger at the book in front of Cass and made it snap closed on her friends' fingers.

"Ow!" Cass grabbed her wound. "You gotta be careful now, Morgan," She smiled playfully. "Now I got a power to hit you back with."

"As funny as that would be," Zoe muttered. "Until we're absolutely sure where all that electricity came from you shouldn't try to, y'know... force it." She clenched her arms together similar to how Cassidy had in the lake.

Cassidy almost seemed offended. "I won't, Z... Y'know, I can't control it."

"I'm just saying..." She chewed on her lip. "We're lucky Luka wasn't seriously hurt. You vaporized a demon in one go."

Cass looked to Andie for support. "I'm with her on this one, Murphy," Andie said. "Until we get you sorted, don't get angry or freaked or over emotional or anything... just in case."

Huffing, Cass slapped another book open and continued to read.

Andie curled her legs up underneath her and twirled her wedding ring around her finger again. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her scar, pinker than usual because of- "OH!" Andie jumped straight to her feet letting the book fall to the floor.

"What?" Zoe and Cass asked in frantic unison.

"Your scar..." Andie strode to Cass and snatched up her palm. "Oh, my God... do you remember? Do you remember what you said to me when you gave us these?" She held up her own hand showing of the identical cut on her hand. "Do you remember?"

"Ah..." Cass's brow crinkled as her foggy mind wandered back. "My blood... your blood... our blood." She recited. "Why?"

Andie nodded. "I said the same thing when I brought you back." She explained. "You were having some sort of seizure or something, and I grabbed your hand, sliced it open across the cut and did the same to me. And when I held your hand and our blood met...boom."

Cass's eyebrows drifted up. "_Boom_?"

"Like back at the lake, boom." Andie explained.

"Yeah..." Zoe piped up. "Tossed Pamela and I right off our feet, just like Luka and the demon..." She chewed her lip. "I guess we were _really_ lucky then... maybe you holding her hand absorbed some of it?" Zoe said to Andie.

"Like that self-healing chick on _Heroes_?" Andie whined. "She sucks; I don't wanna be her."

"So, what..." Cass retracted her hand. "You did this to me?" Her tone wasn't accusing; just curious.

"I doubt it; I've never had anything electrical with my power..." Andie thought aloud. "But maybe... maybe wherever your soul was up there... maybe this... this _power_ came back with it?"

"Well, your Grams is the one who guided my sleigh of a soul back into my body," Cass said. "So maybe she knows more?"

"Yeh, but she's not answering me." Andie muttered, wondering why it was taking so long for Ellie to reply, and hoping she hadn't gotten herself into trouble by helping Andie with Cass.

"Hey..." Zoe said; her voice slightly hopeful. "I might have a lead on your whole power surge issue..." She clicked a few links on the webpage as Andie and Cassidy grouped behind her. "It's likely a type of electrokinetic phenomena...although then there are like twelve sub-phenomena it could be..."

"Electrophoresis, diffusiphoresis, capillary osmosis..." Andie read aloud from the page. "How did I go my whole life without learning any of those words?"

"So which one is it?" Cassidy asked.

"I dunno yet," Zoe replied, hitting a few more links. "I'll get on it now; but at least we have a lead on this. I'll keep going; you guys should stick to sigil searching."

"Sure, give yourself the job with access to porn..." Cass muttered as she grabbed for another textbook. "Does Bobby know you took these?"

"He doesn't not know." Andie answered as she flopped down onto the couch with a book of her own.

"That doesn't make sense," Cass began.

"Just read." Andie ordered.

Cass poked her tongue out but reluctantly took to her text with a begrudging sigh. An hour of silence followed before Cassidy let out a squeal that snapped Andie out of her slight doze. "What? You found it?"

"Yeah," Cass replied, her eyes wide and excited; but also fearful. "I found it, the demon, but Andie... it's one of them."

"One of what?" Zoe asked looking between the two of them.

"The Hierarchy of Devils."

Andie's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't had to fight one of them for months. Thankfully Cassidy took over explaining to Zoe because it took Andie awhile to find her voice. The Hierarchy of Devils was just that, a demonic cluster of demons who were lined up in a group called the Order of the Throne. There were ten demons in the Order, and number one was Lucifer himself. At first, Andie had thought killing these demons would be the end of Lilith; but Castiel was the one who showed her the truth; that it was all part of Lilith's plan. Lilith _wanted_ Lucifer to be free. And if Andie killed the Order demons one through nine; Lucifer would walk right out of his box. Andie had been played; and it pissed her off. The worst part was that she had to let these demons live. Instead of tracking them down and killing them off one by one, she had to let them stick around, because if she killed Order Demon number nine? Lilith would get her wish.

"So..." Zoe tried to wrap her head around this newly terrifying information, running a hand through her ragged blonde crop of curls. "You know there are these demons out there... and you're letting them run free?"

Andie shook her head and silently wished she had a beer. "It's not like that, they're not _all_ out there."

"It's part of the 66 seals thing." Cassidy added. "Each demon is a seal. Kill one; and next one steps up. Last one we killed was Forneas, right?"

Andie nodded, clearly remembering almost falling into the acid lake the demon created around her and Dean whilst they clung to a tree for dear life... Sam had used his demonic mojo to kill the bastard. "Yeah; he was demon number six."

"So, who's this guy?" Zoe jabbed a finger at the book in Cass's hands.

"Number five. Focalor." Cassidy read. "Big on the water; known for causing ships to sink at sea. Andie; you wrote this stuff down before, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I did..." It seemed like forever ago that she'd had to deal with this. With everything that happened with Dean and then Cassidy. It was almost as though she was given time off to deal with those dramas and now that things were back to abnormal; the Order was after her again. "It's a win-win situation for Lilith," She said as she rummaged through her shoulder bag for her grandmothers journal. "If we kill the first nine demons, breaking the seals along the way, Lucifer walks free. If we don't kill them; they just stay on earth and wreak havoc until some other hunter is able to take them on. Meanwhile all the other seals break and Lucifer strolls outta hell anyway"

"Why don't other hunters know about this?" Zoe asked.

Cass took over answering that one; knowing fraternizing with other hunters was definitely not one of Andie's strong suits. "Because not so many of them are eager to believe in the whole angel thing."

"Even though they brought Dean back?"

"Yep. Hunters are notoriously stubborn." Andie said as Cass peered over her shoulder while she flipped the very back of her journal, passed the scribbling of her mother and grandmother, until she found what she'd noted on the Order. "Ok, so Focalor is number five and now he's out; so next we're looking at Sonneillon," her heart sunk when she read the description beside it. "Otherwise known as The Demon of Hate."

"How...nice." Zoe muttered, too tired to think of a witty comeback.

"He pits enemies against each other." Andie informed them as she scanned the page. "One real bad mother..."

"When's he gonna pop up?" Zoe asked, her exhaustion replaced by a ripple of fear. "I mean, should we be salt-lining the doors and windows right now?"

"See, that's the thrilling part of all this," Andie smiled and rubbed her temple. "We get no warning. No heads up. They just come and start killing. We don't know where, we don't know when, and most of the time we don't know how to stop them. This time, we got lucky. He was water based," She sighed discontentedly. "Electricity breaks water particles; that's Boring Science 101."

"I'm glad my electro-ailment was useful." Cass deadpanned. "Alright; we've made headway, labelled the demon, and gotten a mild idea of what the heck is going on with me," She fought to keep her eyes open. "Can we sleep now?"

Andie hated to give in when they were on such a roll; but even she couldn't stifle the yawn that chose that moment to roar out of her mouth. Cassidy took that as a big yes and climbed onto her bed fully clothes. Zoe snapped the laptop lid shut and followed suit while Andie snuggled up on the couch in a woolly blanket and sent Dean a text message before she drifted off to sleep.

_"Hey...where R U?  
Call me when you can__&  
if u see Castiel or Ellie;__  
send them here ASAP.  
__Possible problem brewing.  
Oh, & FYI? I don't miss you._

_Andie x"_

**xxx**


	43. Chapter 43: It's Starting

**Two chapters in two days; I'm on a roll!**

***the character of Zoe Mitchell is an OC belonging to the lovely Eryn (Frostpaw/Frost Hobbit on here) who has agreed to let me keep writing her. Luka, btw, is a character we sort of invented together. I wanted Cass to have a new guy and thought Eryn might have some ideas on how he could tie into their lives and then he was formed. For anyone wondering, picture Dan from Gossip Girl when you read him because that's who he's based on :)***

**Chapter 43:**

_It's Starting..._

The vibrating of her cell phone in her pocket jostled Andie awake a few hours later. The sun was beating down on her through the thin curtains, but her blanket had fallen off during the night so at least she was still warm. She dug out her phone and held it loosely to her ear without even opening her eyes. "What?" She grunted.

"Good morning to you, too," Dean replied cheerfully .

"Dean." Andie's eyes flew open. "Where the hell have you been?" She kept her voice to a harsh whisper since Cass and Zoe were still dead asleep on their beds. "I've been trying to call you," She ducked into the bathroom. "Are you ok?"

"Aw, you're worried about me," Dean said smugly. "That's sweet... but not like you; what's wrong?"

As quickly as she could, Andie explained about Cassidy's new "power" and the new Hierarchy demon.

"So, you want me to come help?" Dean offered.

Andie noted that he didn't say 'we', but she didn't push the matter. "No, no, we have a lead or two. We got this." She paused. "Are you guys ok?"

Dean coughed awkwardly. "Yeah, yeah... we are now."

"_Now_?" She repeated, scooting herself up onto the countertop.

"We had an issue with a Siren..." He trailed off and cleared his throat. "But, we're... we're good now."

Running a hand through her mess of brown hair, Andie sighed heavily into the phone. "Have you seen Ellie?"

"No, but she ain't my Grannie, now is she?"

"I keep calling her, but she's not answering..."

"You're worried," Dean stated. "Look, I'm sure she's fine. Cas pops in and out all times of the day."

"Yeh, but he shows up when you call him."

"Maybe you're doing it wrong?" Dean suggested.

"How can calling her by her name be wrong?"

"She's your grandmother; maybe she wants you to call her that?"

Andie felt a pang in her chest; it was a horribly familiar pang that she only got when she knew someone else was right. "You're suggesting I go into the streets and scream 'Grams' at the top of my lungs?"

"You needn't scream for me, dear," Ellie said as she flitted into the room making Andie gasp.

"Morgan, you ok?" Dean was asking. "Andie?"

"Yeah, yeah," Andie said quickly. "You were right - don't get used to it." With that she hung up. "Where have you been?" She asked Ellie accusingly.

"If you want me to be your grandmother; you'll do me the honour of calling me that." Ellie said firmly. "I know you never called your mother "Mum" or any variation of the word, but I won't stand for that."

"Ok, you win," Andie gave in. "Can you drop the high-and-mighty Grandmother attitude and help me?"

"She's fine." Ellie said with a smile; her manner completely shifting back to her serene, angelic disposition. "Cassidy."

Andie narrowed her eyes. "How'd you know I was going to ask about her?"

"I'm your Grams," She smiled wider. "And I'm an angel. And I'm the one who directed her soul back to her body."

Andie made a fade. "So, what's happening to her, it's _not_ demonic."

"No. It wasn't supposed to happen," Ellie conceded. "But it's not from evil."

"Hang on a sec," Andie held up her hand to silence her grandmother and went out into the bedroom. With a few sharp yells and slapping a couple of books together, she'd woken up Zoe and Cassidy so they could hear what Ellie had to say, too. Andie wasn't a big fan of repeating herself. "Ok," She nodded at her Grandmother. "Keep going."

"Something happened when I brought you back, dear," Ellie said to Cassidy. "I'm not quite sure how to explain it... but when your blood met Andie's again..." She held a hand towards either girl. "Well, it... it changed you."

"You mean... like _Priori Incantatem_?" Zoe asked with a smirk playing at her lips.

"What the hell is that?" Andie asked, her face scrunching into a puzzled expression.

"It's from _Harry Potter,_" Zoe explained. "It's from my favourite book in the series so I remember it. When two duelling wizards cast a spell at the same time; their wands sort of... connect," She continued; gaining the attention from everyone in the room, "And then the fight turns into a battle of wits. It only happens when the wands are made from the same sort of ingredients... like you two with your cuts." She waved a finger between Andie and Cassidy. "When your blood connected again, piercing that veil between life and death, there was a shock. A Big Bang, if you will."

"Who is this Harry Potter?" Ellie asked innocently. "Is he someone we should be keeping an eye on?"

"No, he's a fictional character, Grams, don't worry," Cassidy smiled. "So... what happens now? I've got some freaky power I can't handle?"

"Join the club." Andie muttered.

"Like I said, dear," Ellie placed both her hands delicately on Cass's shoulders. "It isn't an evil or demonic power. The electricity is just pure energy. When you are in a dire situation or experiencing intense emotion; it may, forgive the pun, spark up again. But you can learn to control it." She smiled. "When Andie was a toddler, she used to love moving around the furniture from her playpen." She laughed. "It drove her father mad..."

Andie froze, her fists clenched. She hadn't heard someone talk about her father in over fifteen years... and now she was hearing a happy memory... "Someone should go check on Luka." She said suddenly. "He'd be awake by now; we don't want him blabbing about the demon."

Cassidy looked to Zoe. "You don't think he'd do that, do you?"

Zoe frowned and shrugged. "Depends... Luka's an honest guy... he might tell the doctor's exactly what happened... if he remembers; that is."

"Ok, well, get down there and make sure he keeps his mouth shut." Andie rubbed at her temples. "I don't wanna have to call in Aurora again." She muttered under her breath.

Zoe stopped in her tracks. "Wait... as in Sinclair? The FBI Agent?"

Andie tilted her head to the side. "_You_ know her?"

"Who is she?" Cass piped up.

"She smuggled your body out of the morgue," Andie answered while still looking at Zoe. "How do you know her?"

"She and I worked a few cases awhile back when I was hunting with Sam and Dean; we've kept in touch." Zoe explained. "And I'm guessing Sam told you about her?"

"Yeh; he called her in when this one carked it," She jabbed her thumb at Cassidy.

"Love you, too, honey," Cass muttered.

"Well, great, then you can call her if things get outta hand..." Andie fiddled with her wedding ring. "Not sure she'd be too happy helping me cover up yet another crime, though..."

"Hell, this is the chick that covered up my death?" Cass beamed. "I wanna meet her!"

"Last resort, Cass." Andie warned. "Now get to the hospital and check on Luka, please?"

"I'll drive you." Zoe offered, grabbing her keys off the nightstand.

Though eager to move the conversation away from her family, Andie now found herself stuck in a room with the only family she had. Ellie folded her arms and smiled all-knowingly. "It's hard for you to talk about them, isn't it? Your parents?"

"Yeah, they're both dead," Andie said bitterly. "Of course it's hard; that's why I don't do it."

Ellie sighed, preparing her reply, when her eyes fell on something important. "Oh, my!" She gasped as she picked up the journal lying on the couch. "The journal, oh, it's just as I remember it." She sat with it in her lap and slowly turned each page as though she was afraid it would break. She passed through the entries she had written herself and those soon melded into the passages her daughter, Lily, had entered. Although as Ellie continued to read, her heart began to break, as in the words she could see her daughter's illness coming through in the words.

Lily had never been properly diagnosed with schizophrenia, but Ellie now knew that is what led to her suicide. Lily believed her husband, Dylan, blamed her for his death and was haunting her. She felt the only way to keep Andie safe was to remove herself from her life for good. The truth was, Dylan had died protecting his wife and didn't blame her at all; but Lily's guilt over not being able to protect herself is what caused the schizophrenia to develop, and since she never sought treatment, it eventually took her life.

All of this was documented in the pages of the journal, and it shattered Ellie's heart to know her granddaughter carried it around, all those haunting memories, with her wherever she went. But as she continued to turn through pages, Ellie smiled. She found Andie's handwriting, scrawling pictures and images as well as symbols and demons. She wrote quickly, in note form, the way Ellie used to write. Just the essential details; no waffling. Then there were entries about where she'd slept at night, where she'd had to find food; people who had attacked her... things a child should never have to write about.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" Andie asked after a few minutes.

"No, dear..." Ellie sighed. "Do you think about her?" She asked a moment later. "Your mother?"

"I used to." Andie admitted. "But it just made me mad so I just... stopped."

"What about your father?"

Andie nodded slowly. Truth was, she thought about him a lot because she didn't have any memories of him. She had been three when he was killed; now all she had were a handful of photos. "He wasn't a hunter, was he... Mum never wrote about him hunting..."

"No, he wasn't; not until he met your mother... he never really wanted this life." Ellie sighed and flipped to the last pages of the journal. "After you were born all he wanted was for you to be safe..." Her fingers found something tucked inside the sleeve of the journal. It was a photo; very old, but Ellie remembered it because she had been the one who'd taken it. "Oh..." She smiled. "This was the day you all came to move in with me." Her fingers traced the smiling faces of Lily and Dylan, cradling toddler Andie between them.

Behind that photo was one of Lily and her daughter, cradled together in a beautiful embrace. Lily had placed a wreath of daisies over Andie's head and was holding her closely to her chest, her chestnut brown hair falling down her shoulders almost hugging Andie as well. And behind that photo, was one of Andie and her father. It wasn't staged like the others; Ellie had caught them in a moment between themselves. Andie had him enraptured in a conversation; he was holding her upright with her little baby feet balancing up on his knees. Dylan was smiling proudly, at that age all Andie did was babble, but he loved every second of it. "He loved you so much, Andie..." She said softly.

All Andie did was stare at the photos. She'd seen them before; a million times over, but now it was like she was seeing them through her Grandmother's eyes in a different light.

"Oh..." Ellie's fingers found another set of photos, a strip of black and white shots Dean and Andie had taken together in a photo booth. They did the whole corny, conventional faces. Scary face, ugly face, happy face, silly face. "What lovely pictures... you both look so happy..." She focused on the one where both Dean and Andie had made each other laugh. "He loves you, too."

"Yeah," Andie took back the journal and slid the photos back into their position. "Thank you, for helping with Cassidy." She swiftly changed the subject.

"Alright, dear," Ellie rose to her feet. "You don't have to say anything. Call me if you need me."

"Thanks, Ellie."

"Grams." She corrected her warningly.

Andie gave her a little grin. "Grams." She mumbled out.

Ellie pressed a kiss to her fingertips and then pushed them against Andie's forehead. A second later she was gone, and Andie cradled the journal to her middle as she settled back into the couch. She flipped the book open to what she'd written about the Hierarchy, but her fingers made their way to the back of pouch where the photos were stored and she once again looked them over. She'd had a family; apparently a very happy one, but now everything was so different.

Andie wasn't big on destiny, but living on the streets she'd had to believe there was a reason for it, a reason why she'd had to sit shivering in the rain because she couldn't find a place to sleep, a reason why no one adopted her from the orphanage, a reason why she met Cassidy at the time and place she did and the same with Dean and Sam... all of those roads led her here, to this room on this day, hunting _this _demon... Andie didn't like it; but it was beginning to sound like destiny to her.

**xxx**

Luka was sitting up in his hospital bed forcing down as much off the pale chicken on his plate that he could. His head ached and was bandaged, but the doctor's said his X-rays were clear and he could leave the hospital that afternoon. His mother was going to pick up him up after work; so he was all set to go home and forget about everything, until Zoe and Cassidy came striding into the room.

"Oh," Zoe scanned her friend's battered and bruised body. "You look... fantastic."

"Zo, you are a terrible liar." Luka shoved his tray of food aside. "And if it isn't Cassidy," He smirked. "The girl who almost killed me."

"Yeah... sorry 'bout that." Cassidy smiled weakly. "For what it's worth, for a guy who was electro-shocked, you still look hot."

He forced a tense smile. "So..." He said slowly. "Care to tell me how exactly it was that you shocked me?"

"What do you remember?" Zoe asked, firmly folding her arms over her chest.

"That guy jumping up out of the lake and grabbing Cassidy," Luka ran a hand through his deep chocolate curls. "You screamed... and then I was here." The glance between Zoe and Cass did not go unnoticed by Luka. "Ok; what's going on here?"

"You're much happier not knowing." Cassidy assured him. "Believe me."

"I don't." Luka replied curtly. "I want you two to explain to me what the hell that thing was in the lake. Because it didn't look human to me. And I also wanna know why you two weren't scared of it."

"Look, L," Zoe started. "Now is not the time-"

"I think it's the perfect time Zoe," Luka folded his arms over his chest, his implicit kindness suddenly disappearing from his eyes. "This have anything to do with why you were so messed up when we were together? Why you're always out of town? Why you never answered my calls?"

Zoe gulped. "Yeah... I guess... but Luka... it's not like I didn't _want_ to tell you; I couldn't."

"Tell me now."

Zoe looked at Cassidy, her only friend in the room right now, for support, and she got it in the form of an encouraging smile. "Okay... that thing in the lake? It was a demon. Demons are real. So are ghosts and angels and the devil; it's all real. And we," She looked at Cassidy. "We fight them. We hunt them."

Luka's mouth fell open as his eyes locked on Zoe. "You... hunt... demons?" he said slowly.

"Well, lately they seem to be hunting us." Cassidy said with a smile; trying to lift the mood. It didn't help. "Look," She dropped the smile. "Zoe was right keeping you in the dark about this; the less you know the safer you are..." She eyed his bandaged head, realizing the irony. "This...this would be the exception..."

"So, that Andie chick?"

"Yeh, she's a hunter, too." Zoe nodded, omitting the half-angel factor. There was a limit to how much a person could take in one hit. "There are a lot of us; hunters, that is. And we're in the thick of things right now, and you kinda got caught in the middle. I'm sorry for that."

Luka rubbed his already aching head. "Demons... hunters..." he laughed humourlessly and turned to Cass. "And you're, what, like electro-girl?"

"Cute, but actually... we're still sorta figuring that out..." Cass smiled tensely and shrugged. "New development."

A very tense silence followed, both women just watched Luka, waiting for him to scream for help, throw something, maybe swear a little; but he didn't do anything of the sort. He just sat there, digesting all of this bizarre, new information. "Can you guys just... leave me alone for awhile?" Luka said a few minutes later, shifting uncomfortably in his bed. "This is a hell of a lot of info to get in thirty seconds."

"Sure..." Zoe patted his shoulder. "I'll stop by your house tomorrow; see how you're doing."

Luka let his head fall back against his pillows and let out a huge breath he hadn't realized he was holding in. _Demons? Hunting? What the hell?_ _This is all make believe; scary children's stories_... but he couldn't deny what he'd seen at the lake was most definitely _not_ natural... but admitting that it was _super_natural was perhaps too big of a step. He heard light footsteps come back into the room and was once again joined by Cassidy.

"I won't stay long, I promise," Cassidy flipped the chair beside his bed around and straddled it, leaning her arms against its back. "Look, Luka...I _am _sorry for what happened. I had no idea that I'd shock you. But, in my defence, I wouldn't have hurt you if you hadn't grabbed my arm."

Luka scowled. "Wait—you came back to tell me it's my fault for trying to protect you?"

"Aw," Cass smiled. "That's sweet. But I already have one bitch protecting my ass; I don't need another."

Luka gave her an odd look, a flicker of a smirk tingling at his lips. "Did you just call me a bitch?"

"Sorry; force of habit." Cass grinned, holding her tongue between her teeth. "But thank you for, y'know, not bolting in the other direction when you saw that demon. Most people would have."

"I thought he was going to kill you."

"He was." Cass said blatantly. "Hell, he would have if I hadn't shocked him. There's a morbid thought, huh?"

Luka paused. "So you can't...control it..." He asked, slightly intrigued by her. She had such a different personality than anyone he'd ever met. She was so... bizarre.

"No... but Ellie thinks I might be able to."

"Ellie?"

"Andie's grandmother. Well, her dead grandmother who came back as an angel," She slapped Luka on the arm. "Even _I_ didn't see _that_ one coming!" She stopped laughing when she noticed Luka didn't find it amusing. "Ok," She rose to her feet. "I know this is really _loads_ for you to handle; but you don't have to worry. We'll be out of here in a few days and you can forget we ever stopped by. Well, not Zoe 'cause you know her... but you can forget the demon stuff. Because it won't happen to you again."

Luka couldn't seem to find his voice, he just let Cassidy smile at him, wave goodbye and leave the room_. God, she is so weird_, he thought. Not that he didn't mind weird. And hell, his life in Iowa was so bland he could do with a little weirdness; especially if it came in the form of a vivacious little blonde like Cassidy.

**xxx**

**AN - what do we think of Luka? Do we like him? I'd love to know! He may just become a regular :)  
**


	44. Chapter 44: A Drop In The Ocean

**THREE chapters in THREE days; I'm really on a roll! I wonder how long it'll last...probably not long now that I've said it.**

***This chapter is long but it covers a lot; probably about 3 weeks to a month to get me up to speed with where I want to be with the Dean/Sam storyline.*  
**

***I'm a bit 'meh' about this chapter, and I don't like being 'meh' about things I post up, but I'm also never happy with the way I write romance so there's some irony for you. Again, Zoe ain't my gal! But I do love writing her. Check out Frost Hobbit for her awesome Zoe centric fic :)***

**Chapter 44:**

_A Drop In The Ocean_

A week after Cass had gone to see Luka in hospital, she stopped by his house. He was still on bed rest for a few more days and she just wanted to check in. He answered the door looking very, very cute in a pair of loose fitting jeans and a white wife-beater that showed off that farm-boy tan oh-so-nicely on his muscled arms.

"Your house is nice." Cass assessed as she came in. It was a very 'home sweet home' type of cottage; very different to her own house where every surface was practically sterilized by the daily maid service. _This_ felt like a home. There were pictures of Luka at various ages on the walls; Cass spotted one adorable photo atop the mantle above the fireplace. "Oh," She plucked down the photo frame and smiled at a six or seven year old Luka who was wearing a raincoat and a fireman's helmet, his untamed chocolate curls sticking out underneath. "Weren't you just the cutest thing..."

"Naw," Luka snatched the photo from her hand and put it back on the mantle. "My mum... when my dad got sick she started taking photos of everything, didn't want to miss a moment, you know?" He grabbed another photo, this one of his whole family. "This is him," He pointed out his father. "Henry."

"Wow..." The resemblance between Luka and his father was uncanny. Except for the hair; his father was blonde, his mother sported that same mess of soft chocolate curls that adorned her sons' head.

"He died when I was ten." Luka took the photo back and put it in its place. "So when my mum got sick, she started up again," He smiled. "That's why you'll find photos on basically every surface of this place."

"So they both had cancer?" Cass asked, thinking what rotten luck that was.

"Yeah, my dad's was pancreatic... not a whole lot you can do for that." He smiled sadly. "My mum, she had breast cancer, but she's been in remission for three years now."

"That's great." Cass smiled. "She's beautiful."

"So, apart from hearing about my extremely depressing life," Luka grinned. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Wanted to see how you are," Cass replied. "Make sure there aren't any lingering injuries..." She reached out and gingerly ran her fingers over his the bandage on his forehead.

Luka just shook his head, gently nudging her hand. "Nah, I'm good. I get another paid week of work, though, so... will you be hanging around?"

"For a little while," Cass found herself using her flirty smile. "Why?"

"Well, least you could do after almost killing me is buy me dinner." He grinned smugly.

Cass pouted. "I ain't buyin' you nothin'."

Luka chuckled, reached out, hooked the back of her neck with his hand and pulled her lips onto his into a tender kiss that Cassidy immediately pulled away from.

"What are you doing?"

Again; he just kissed her. But this time, she didn't fight it. She just let him kiss her. The ferocity ebbed away, and soon his lips were softly kissing hers in a way Cass hadn't been kissed before. "I... have to leave..." She managed to whisper out in between kisses.

"Is this you leaving?" Luka asked as he continued to kiss her. "Cos you suck at it...but I like it."

Cass moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck; he was an excellent kisser and she just wanted more and more of him. "I really do have to go..." She mumbled weakly against his lips.

"I'm not stopping you."

Cass laughed. "You know you are." She grabbed the hem of his black tee shirt and pulled it over his head. His farm-boy tan extended over his whole body. He had strong, muscled arms that he wrapped around Cass's middle and guided her towards his bedroom.

Hormones took over; Cass knew there was no stopping them now. But it wasn't animalistic and hasty like it had been with Sam; it was fun. It was sweet. Cass didn't know if it was because Luka was just a normal guy or if it was because this was her first intimate moment with someone since her resurrection; but she'd never felt so comfortable making love in her entire life. When Luka helped her out of her clothes; it felt normal. When he kissed her tenderly and lay down on top of her; it felt like she was where she was meant to be. And Cass knew; that they would be doing this again and again while she was in town.

It wouldn't last, long term, of course, it never did. That's how Cass worked; that's how she was built. Love 'em and leave 'em; that's how she rolled. And she intended to do the former with Luka as much as she could before she had to leave town.

**xxx**

Neither Sam nor Dean really spoke of what happened after they'd both been under the influence of the Siren. Dean remembered it, and he was sure Sam did, too, but they weren't going to talk about it. There was a rift forming between them and Dean knew exactly what – or rather _who _– was causing it. Ruby. Sam was calling her in secret and more often than before would leave on his own and come back well after Dean was asleep. Sam tried to brush it off as nothing; Dean just being too protective. But even he knew that something was wrong.

They didn't have the time to deal with it anyway; because out of nowhere, they received a call from one of their Dad's old cell phones. It was a young boy, Adam, who claimed to be John Winchester's son. As far as Dean was concerned, he was a demon in human clothing. But Sammy was more inclined to believe him; teaching him about demons and how to use weapons. Adam's mother had been kidnapped by some beastie; so that's where Dean focused himself and not on the apparent happy memories that Adam had of John.

More than ever, Dean realized how much Andie would help him right now. She'd be hovering over the back seat of the Impala as he read from the map, trying to change the cassette tape without him realizing it. Or, if Sam wasn't around, she'd climb into the passenger's seat and they'd talk; if they didn't have a motel room that night they'd sleep there, comfortably in each other's arms, until morning. They were only a couple when they were alone, and now that she was gone and Sam was drifting away, he actually _felt_ alone.

**xxx**

In a small diner a few blocks from Cass and Andie's motel, Zoe had met up with Luka to celebrate being friends again. Now that she was home, Zoe realized how much she missed it. Her family, Ryan in particular, and now chatting with Luka again... she'd forgotten how much fun he was.

"Zoe Mitchell: Demon Hunter..." Luka said with a wry grin. "If it was a show on the CW, I'd watch it." He thanked the waitress who arrived beside them and set their two coffees down on the table. "So how long have you been doing this, exactly?"

"Only a few years." She replied. "After high school... after us..." Zoe shrugged. "I just was in _such_ a bad way... you were so clever and ambitious... I didn't want to bring you down." She took a sip of her latte. "I didn't want to be the reason you didn't amount to anything."

Luka gave her that cute, half-smile of his. "Turns out I did that myself."

"No, you're awesome." Zoe giggled. "So, Cass is fun, right? You guys seem to be having a good time. I told you you'd like her. If you're lucky she might stick around for a little something extra." She winked.

"That's gross." Luka said with a smile, but it didn't last and Zoe caught up on his demeanour change immediately.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing." Luka tried to act casual.

"You sure? 'Cause...." Zoe narrowed her eyes at him. "You seem... odd..."

"Well," Luka stirred some sugar into his coffee. "Not every day you meet someone like _that_."

"Like what?"

"Someone who's funny and adorable and so unbelievably bizarre that it makes me lo-" He stopped short and coughed.

Zoe felt a smile play at her lips. "Are you in love with her?"

"No, come on," Luka adamantly dismissed her. "I've only known her like three weeks."

"I don't get it then, what's your problem?"

"You said she doesn't stick around...and..." he scratched the back of his neck. "I don't want her to leave." He paused, holding his coffee mug at his lips. "Every time I see her I tell myself "This _time... I'm gonna tell her what I think. This time I'm gonna look her in the eye... and say... I love you...just to see what she says_"..."

Zoe smiled, because she knew he had no idea he was saying what he was saying. He had this habit if speaking before he thought, but that was when he was the most honest. That's one of the reasons she liked him so much.

"So, there I was," Luka continued. "Just the other day, I was staring at her across the table...looking her straight in the eye... and I didn't say anything."

"Why not?"

"I dunno..." Luka laughed bashfully and took a drink of his coffee. "But, ah... but I wish I had." His eyes drifted off into the distance. "Because even if it didn't change anything... she'd know how I felt."

"It's okay to love somebody, Luka." Zoe said with a wry grin. "Even after three weeks..." She reached out and took placed her hand over his. "And I don't think it's that weird. It's a little bizarre, but hey," She winked. "You like that."

**xxx**

It was now halfway into their third week in Iowa, and to Andie that was a long time to stay put. She wanted to move on. She was researching omens again, tracking storms and scouring the papers for anything that might indicate something demonic. She wasn't exactly _tracking_ Sonneillon, but she could at least pinpoint his tracks to check if he had arrived yet. He was a demon of hate; so Andie was looking for towns with sudden spikes in murders or gang wars, and other hate triggered attacks. Thankfully; she hadn't found such a pattern yet.

Andie was doing a lot of this work with just Zoe by her side, Cassidy was spending a lot of time with Luka and neither of them minded. She seemed more and more like her old self again; they had Luka to thank for that. Every time she came back to the motel room she had a smile on her face. She often retold a joke Luka had told her, told them things he did for her like make her breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast. She was enjoying herself again.

As much as it pleased Andie to see her best friend finally regaining her humanity, a niggling of jealously that crept into the pit of her stomach couldn't be ignored. She missed Dean, plain and simple. He hadn't called in three days, just a text message saying he'd call when he could. Andie wasn't worried; it was just that watching how Cassidy was with Luka reminded her of how much everything in her life was made more fun when Dean was around. _I wonder if I'd ever told him that_...she thought; deducing that she wouldn't because such a sappy phrase should never be uttered out of Andie Morgan's mouth.

"Ok, that's it," Zoe said as she rubbed her eyes and leant away from the laptop. "No more weather reports for the day; and still no crazy lightning storms."

"Ok...good... so we got through another day?" Andie nodded in approval and started folding up newspapers.

"It would seem so." She yawned and stretched. "Wanna get something to eat? I want pizza..."

"Sure." Andie stacked up the papers she'd been working on. "Should we call Cass?"

"I think she's with Luka tonight, his mum's cooking something, I dunno." Zoe grabbed her keys and slid on her jacket. "Wanna come with me to pick it up?"

"Yeah, I'll just change my shirt," Andie nodded down at her filthy gray (formerly white) tee. "I'll meet you in the Bug."

The only clean item of clothing Andie had left was a shirt of Dean's that had somehow found its way into the bottom of her duffle bag. It was just a simple black t-shirt, but Andie loved it. It smelled like him, that intoxicating mix of his pheromones with a hint of motor oil that never seemed to wash out. She tossed the shirt on over her black bra and was headed for the door when her phone rang. "Hello?" Andie answered, holding the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she searched for the motel key.

_"Hey, it's me..." _

It was Dean, but he sounded weird... "Hey...?"

"I'm with Sam...I don't know what to do..." His voice started shaking. "It's pretty bad."

"Dean; what happened?" Andie didn't know how, but she could tell he was fighting back tears.

"Ruby..." He spat out her name. "She's got him hooked on demon blood and he's... he's out of control. We killed a demon the other day and he drank right from the body..."

Andie covered her mouth with her hands as Dean told her about Castiel's host body, Jimmy, coming back into play, she listened in horror as Dean went through the details of how he and Sam had a half-brother named Adam who had been killed and then impersonated by a ghoul, and on the verge of tears herself she heard Dean explain how he'd had to torture Alistair for information. All of this had been going on without her; he'd been dealing with this alone. And now Ruby? Andie knew Sam and Ruby had some sort of weird thing going, but she never thought it was as bad as a demon blood addiction. "Where is he?"

"We, ah," He coughed. "Bobby and I, we got him locked in the panic room. So," He exhaled unsteadily, trying to talk past the heavy lump in his throat. "Whatever you're doing, if you could get here... _please_... I need your help."

"Ok." Andie said, immediately rising to her feet and grabbing her bag. "Ok, I'll get there as soon as I can." She hung up immediately dialled Cassidy's number. It took a few rings for her to answer and when she did, all Andie could hear was background noise of laughter and clinking plates

"Yeah?" Cass answered through a laugh.

"We have to leave."

"What?"

"Something's going on with Sam," Andie saw Zoe through the window holding up her arms, silently asking what was taking so long, and motioned for her to come back inside. "Just get back here fast." She hung up and slid her phone into her jeans pocket. Whilst shoving all her clothes that she'd actually put in drawers into her duffle, Zoe came in asking what was going on. "Dean needs my help, so I have to go back to Bobby's." She stuffed her journal in her shoulder bag and headed for the bathroom to pack up her toiletries.

"Ah, yeah, ok," Zoe said. "I'll get my stuff and drive you-"

"I'll rent one!" Andie snapped sharply as she came back into the room. "I just need to go, right now! No, you can't come... it's just... it's too dangerous."

Zoe blanched. "Dangerous? I think I can handle it."

"Not this." Andie said firmly. "I just... I have to do this." She sighed, girl on girl conversations were _not_ her thing. "I appreciate what you've done for me; I really do. Everything with Cass... you've been a great friend to her. And to me."

Zoe plonked herself on the bed. "That's really hard for you to say, isn't it?" She smirked.

"No... I just..." Andie stopped packing. "I have a talent for driving people away." she admitted. "And the people who don't run off have a tendency to die..." she sighed. "My parents... Grams... Cassidy..." she gulped. "And through all of it... it just made me resentful and angry for being left behind. And that's what hurts." Quickly, she went back to packing before she made herself cry. "Anyway," She cleared her throat. "I don't want _you_ to be another one of those people. You're an excellent hunter, Zoe. Really. But I don't want you to get hurt and there is stuff going on right now that I _can't let you_ help with... it's too dangerous."

Zoe just nodded. "Ok." She agreed.

Andie had been expecting more of a fight, but then again she was only used to fighting with Cassidy who would have fought tooth and nail if she'd been told she couldn't tag along. It was becoming clear why Andie and Cassidy were drawn to Zoe; she was an equalizer; a stable force for them. They were nuts; she was the sane one. The one who kept her head, who adjusted to things like angels popping up in the back seat of her car or her friend being resurrected with a natural ease. She was a kind soul; a kindred soul. And one Andie was lucky to have met. "Thanks, Zo."

She smiled, taking the words for all they were meant, "You're welcome."

**xxx**

Cass didn't say another word after she thanked Mrs. Daniels for dinner and quickly fled from Luka's house. Whatever Dean had said to Andie on the phone... he must have sounded desperate; because Andie never reacted like this; ever. Luka crossed her mind, and then a pang stabbed in her chest. She'd have to say goodbye to him. _No, I don't..._she realized. _I'll tell Zoe... she can tell him... meaningless sex... that's all it was_. She became very focused on emptying her side of the closet. _And that's all it ever will be._

"Cass!" Luka suddenly ran up behind her. "What the hell?"

"Luka, go home." Cass begged as she kept walking, Luka's house was only a few blocks from the motel. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave."

"What, Andie makes one call and you just run to her side?" Luka scoffed.

Cass turned to him, angered at his complete disregard for her feelings. "It's not like this is all some new facet of my personality! You _know_ who I am! You _know_ what I do!" Thunder started rumbling above them and the dark clouds that had been drifting over the town all day threatened to finally drop some rain. "You _know_ how I feel about her! That isn't going to change. And if you can't accept that, this isn't gonna work!" She bundled her jacket around her body and kept walking; not expecting him to follow, so it was quite a shock when he did.

"Cass," He said breathlessly as he grabbed her elbow and turned her to face him. "I love you."

"What?" Cass took a step back as the rain started to fall.

He just smiled. "I love you."

Cass set her mouth in a firm line. "No, you don't." She kept walking; but he just kept following.

"Yes, I do." Luka grinned as he echoed her footsteps. "I know, it's crazy soon and it might freak you out, but I do. I love you. I love the way you walk, I love the way you laugh, I love the way you love your friends, I love the way you drink milk right out of the container and then yell at me for doing the same thing, and I love the way you make me feel when I'm with you."

"Luka..." Touched, but tearful, Cass stared down at her feet and turned around. This was not how this was supposed to go. This was a fling; a passing romance. Not love... it couldn't be that. "I can't. I'm not built that way... I don't do this... I don't stick around. You know what I do, Luka, and it's not this. I can't be who you want me to be."

"You _are_ who I want you to be." Luka said, cupping her crying face in his hands. "And if you don't love me... pretend. I don't care." He brushed a hair behind her ear and the raindrops from her cheeks. "Please, just stay here. Stay with me."

She let him lift up her face, she let him kiss her lips as her tears slipped down her cheeks, but she didn't let him hold her. Instead, she pushed herself off of him. "I said I can't. Please let me go." She said, keeping her voice as level as she could. "You have to let me go."

"Cass," Luka pleaded. "I know you feel something for me; I _know_ you do!"

"Just go!" Cass cried, grabbing his arm and pushing him. She felt a shock run through her body and a second later Luka cried out in pain and grabbed his arm. "OH!" Cass covered her mouth with her hands. She'd done it again.

Still standing, but at least a foot away from Cass, Luka just stared at her and rubbed his tingling shoulder. "So, that's it?"

"I'm sorry," And that was it, she turned and ran through the rain back to her hotel. She bolted passed Zoe and Andie and took to the bathroom, locking that door behind her.

She was out of her clothes in a minute and hid within the shower, turning on the steaming hot jets of water to wash away the tears that welled in her eyes. She immersed her face under the stream and suddenly the weight of everything seemed to just crash on top of her. She let out one sob; and that was it. The gate opened, and she started weeping whilst staring up at the shower head, letting it wash away the tears as quickly as they fell from her eyes. If there was a protocol for dealing with this emotion, Cass didn't know what it was, all she knew was that she had to cry. It was new to her; she'd never been heartbroken before.

**xxx**


	45. Chapter 45: When The Levee Breaks

***was glad to hear people's were missing the Dean/Andie-ness :) Hope this chapter makes up for the lack of it in recent chapters*  
**

***Again, Zoe ain't my gal! But I do love writing her. Check out Frost Hobbit for her awesome Zoe centric fic :) I will be writing her again in the future***

**Chapter 45:**

_When The Levee Breaks_

The hire car arrived at seven o'clock the next morning, and when Zoe stopped by the motel to say goodbye she spotted a frazzled looking Andie dressed in jeans, a black tee and a leather jacket stuffing books into the trunk of the car.

"Morning." Zoe said brightly, getting only a grimace from Andie in return. "Yeah, I figured you weren't a morning person." She held up a take-away coffee mug. "I brought you this."

"And now I love you," Andie smiled as she practically snatched the cup out of her hands.

"I got one for Cass, too," Zoe waved around another cup.

"She's inside." Andie said through sips of caffeine. "Triple checking that we haven't left anything behind; damn her and her anal retentive organization."

"I take it she didn't say anything to you about last night?"

Andie shook her head. "Nope, she didn't even come out of the bathroom 'til after I was in bed."

"She broke up with Luka." Zoe informed her glumly.

Andie coughed on her coffee. "Broke up?"

"Yeah... he called me last night after I left here... he was pretty cut up."

"Broke up? Wait...no," Andie almost laughed. "Cass doesn't get involved in the 'breaking up' type of relationship..."

"Well, this time, she did." Zoe pulled her jacket closer around her body as a cool breeze picked up. "He wanted her to stay..."

"But I'm making her go..." Andie leant against the rear door of the blue rental car.

"No, come on," Zoe sidled up beside her. "You know her; if she didn't want to come with you she _wouldn't_."

Andie narrowed her eyes at her. "You're too sweet sometimes." She muttered.

"Thank you." Zoe nudged her shoulder. "I hope everything's okay with Dean and Sam."

Andie sighed. "Yeah, me too." It was taking all of her will power not to think of what might be happening at Bobby's junkyard; how bad a shape Sam might be in.

"I'm gonna take this to Cass," She gestured to the coffee cup in her hand. "I hope I see you again, Andie... it's been... well, it's been fun."

Andie laughed. "Yeah; guess it's not every day you're involved in an angelic resurrection."

"True, but it was pretty awesome. I brought someone back to life. That's like... epic." Even knowing it would make Andie uncomfortable, Zoe hugged her anyway and was touched when she felt one of Andie's hands pat her on the back. "Call me if you need anything." Zoe said. "I know you're not big on the hunters, but still..."

"Yeah..." Andie replied tensely. "I'm also not big on the hugging so I'll let you decide when we're done."

Inside the motel room, Cass was on her hands and knees looking under the beds for the fourth time. She was sure they hadn't forgotten anything; but it was better to over-check then miss something. At least, it was in her mind. And anything was better than the scene that kept playing over and over in her head... that look on Luka's face... she couldn't search enough to wipe that from her memory.

"You looking for your dignity?" Zoe's voice called from the doorway. "Cos you won't find it under there."

Cass flipped her hair over her shoulder whilst still on all fours and saw her friend smirking at down at her. "Are you here to lecture me?"

"No, actually," Zoe squatted down on her haunches and handed over the coffee. "This for you."

Cass gave up on her search, took the drink and sat cross legged, leaning her head back against the motel bed. "How's Luka?"

"You really wanna know?"

"If he's okay, then yes." Zoe kept her mouth shut. "Damn." Cass muttered.

"He will be..." Zoe assured her. "I'll watch him for you."

"I shouldn't feel this way..." Cass whispered. "I'm not built for this." She laughed lightly. "I just... don't do well sitting still..."

"Yeah, I know." Zoe smiled warmly. "I'm beginning to see why you and Andie work so well together. You're both afraid of the same stuff. You enable each other. _Dr. Phil_ would have a field day with you two."

"Thanks for bringing me back, Z," Cass suddenly said out of nowhere. "I know it must have been hard. I've never seen someone I love die before... and knowing how much you adore me; it must have been hard."

"Brutal." Zoe said with a laugh, though that didn't make it any less truthful. "I'm glad I could help. I'm sorry about our fight..."

Cass pointed out the window to where Andie was still packing the car. "You see now, right? You see what I have to deal with; the girl's nuts."

"She's not the only one."

"Helpful."

Zoe climbed over into her lap and wrapped her arms around her neck, squashing her enough so that she winded her. "Come back soon, okay, C? Six months is too long."

"Promise." Cassidy agreed, hugging her tightly.

Zoe waited at the motel until Cass and Andie were both in their rental car, and even stood on the sidewalk like at the end of a bad movie until she couldn't see the car anymore. With a sigh, Zoe dug her hands into her pockets and headed back down the road. There was a freedom in her heart now, not that she didn't love Cassidy, and, hell, even Andie was growing on her, but she felt a relief in her soul as she walked along. Luka and Cass were heartbroken and Andie was going to deal with something serious with Dean... so why did she feel so free?

She soon realized why. She was home. She could go see her family. She could stay put for more than just a few days. A week, maybe two, a month... she could choose. That was the freedom of it; she chose to stay here. And that choice was her freedom.

**xxx**

"Weird month, huh?" Andie spoke up after three hours of driving in silence. "I mean... heck; by our standards it could almost have been called _normal_..." She laughed. "Who knew I'd make a friend? I mean, I don't make friends with girls, and Zoe walks in and does it with a handshake." She turned off the dirt road and onto the main highway.

Andie couldn't figure out the radio settings on this bloody rental car, if she could she wouldn't have to deal with the silence and fill it with her inane conversation. But Cass needed a distraction; and so did she.

"I know what happened with Luka..."Andie said as they entered their fourth silent hour; she couldn't stand it anymore. "Sorry."

"Why do you love Dean?" Cassidy asked out of nowhere. "I mean, you fight like crazy and you're always telling me how much he annoys you but I know you love him. So why? I wanna know what it is about him."

"Cass-"

"No, Andie, if you want me to spill my guts there is no _way_ I'm giving it up for nothing. You never talk about Dean the way you want me to talk about Luka." Cass pointed out. "So give me a reason to say it."

"He's good in bed."

"Andie!" Cass warned.

Andie groaned. "Fine!" She felt her fingers tighten around the steering wheel; feeling lucky that it was only Cass in the car with her. "Because... he... he makes me laugh. And... he doesn't judge me even when he should. And when I'm scared; he can't help and he doesn't pretend that he can. He's just... there... all the time, without even a thought. He's just...there." More silence followed, and whilst Andie replayed what she'd just said over and over in her head, something occurred to her. "Wait...wait; why did you ask me that?"

"What?"

"I tell you I know what happened with Luka and you ask me why I love Dean?" She cast a sideways glance at her. "Why? I didn't say anything about love...do you love Luka?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Jeez, Cass you've only known him five minutes." Andie laughed.

"Can we _not_ talk about this?" Cass snapped. "Please?"

Andie recoiled and set her eyes back on the road. "Yeah...sure..." She said uncomfortably. "Things have been a little girly lately, huh?"

"Yeah..." Cass grumbled and stared out her window into the nothingness of the highway.

"Well... we're going to try and detox Sam from a demon blood addiction... so, that oughta man us up a little."

"How did he get addicted, anyway?" Cass asked, now in 'work mode'. "Just sucking it from Ruby's veins?"

"Dean didn't say..." Andie replied, remembering how freaked he'd sounded on the phone. "But Sam thinks he's stronger when he's drinking it... his power is stronger." She shrugged and sighed simultaneously.

"Well...we still got a few hours 'til we have to deal with it..." Cass clicked on the radio and expertly set it to a radio station blaring a Led Zeppelin track:

_"Don't it make you feel bad?__  
When you're trying to find your way home,  
You don't know which way to go?"_

**xxx**

That night, Dean had a nightmare. Ever since they'd locked Sam in the panic room he'd been having them. They weren't anything discernible; just random horrific scenes of his brother as a demon going on murder sprees. He woke up in a sweat every few hours when he wasn't on Sam-watching duty. This time, when he woke up, he felt the distinct indent of someone sleeping beside him. Even in the dark he could tell it was Andie. She was on her stomach; head deep in the pillow, still in her clothes.

The smallest of smiles tugged at his lips as he reached out and laid his hand on her lower back, shuffling down so his face was just in front of hers. She fidgeted a little and opened her eyes; she'd never been a heavy sleeper.

"Hey..." She said softly as she leant off the pillow. "I didn't wanna wake you."

Dean brushed her hair from her eyes. "I missed you." He whispered.

She smirked, her teeth glinting slightly in the moonlight. "Really?

Tracing his fingers up under her shirt he murmured, "Mm-hmm..." and leant over to kiss her. "When did you get here?"

"Few hours ago..." She said into her pillow. "Cass is sleeping downstairs."

"She okay?"

"She'll be fine." She opened her eyes. "How's Sam?"

"You hear the screaming?"

"Yeah..." Andie bundled her pillow up under her head and leant up on her shoulders. "He doesn't sound good."

"I don't want to talk about it right now," He kissed her again. "It's tomorrow's problem."

Andie always felt instantly warmer when he kissed her; like a wave of heat crossed over her body. Every time they were apart, she forgot how good he felt at her lips. She didn't break the kiss; instead, she sidled her body up over his and straddled him.

"Is this my shirt?" Dean broke the moment as he ran his hands up her back.

"Ah, yeah..." Andie grinned mischievously and lifted her hands above her head. "You want it?"

"Oh, I want it," Dean leant up and pulled the shirt off her back. He curled his hand behind her neck and pulled her mouth down on top of his.

As they had the month before just after Cassidy's death; the pair made love to forget about everything going on around them. It didn't matter that Sam was screaming bloody murder in Bobby's panic room, or that Cassidy was electro-shocking things; all that mattered was them, at this moment. They were back together; they were where they were supposed to be.

Afterwards, as they lay in each others arms, Dean tenderly kissed the nape of her neck as he held her to his body. "I missed you." He murmured as she slung his arm across her chest. And though it was barely above a whisper, he knew he heard her say "_I missed you, too..."._

**xxx**

It was only in the morning that Andie realized how deeply they were in trouble. Sam's screams were what woke Andie and Dean out of a contented sleep. They both quickly dressed and ran downstairs to see Cassidy looking frantic as Bobby tried to calm her down.

"We have to help him!" Cass was saying. "He's dying down there!"

"Cass; we got this," Dean said to her. "We're doing the right thing."

"I'm not so sure about that anymore." Bobby said, tossing a newspaper in front of Dean.

"_Key West sees ten species go extinct_..." Dean read, shifting his eyes up to Bobby.

Bobby nodded, a morbid look in his eye. "Yep. Plus Alaska. Fifteen-man fishing crew all stricken blind, cause unknown. New York, teacher goes postal, locks the door, kills exactly sixty-six kids. All this in a single day. I looked them up. There's no doubt about it."

" They're all seals." Andie snarled in anger as she heaved herself up onto the counter.

"And they're breaking." Cass added. "Fast."

Dean crossed his arms and leant against the counter by Andie. "How many are left?" he asked, staring down at his boots.

"Who knows? Can't be many." Bobby shrugged and readjusted his baseball cap. "Where the hell are your angel pals?"

"Not answering." Dean muttered.

"Neither is Grams," Cass added, "We were calling her on the way here."

Dean watched Bobby carefully; something was off about him. He was hiding something. "What is it, Bobby?"

"Look," Bobby cleared his throat. "The apocalypse being nigh and all..." He sighed. "Is now really the best time to be having this little domestic drama of ours?"

"What do you mean?" Dean asked warningly.

"Well, I don't like this any more than you do," Bobby started carefully. "But Sam can kill demons. He's got a shot at stopping Armageddon."

"So what? Sacrifice Sam's life, his soul, for the greater good?" Dean snapped defensively. "Is that what you're saying? Times are bad, so let's use Sam as a nuclear warhead?"

"Dean," Andie held him back by his shoulder, literally feeling the tension in his body.

"Look, I know you hate me for suggesting it." Bobby said as calmly as he could. "_I_ hate me for suggesting it. I love that boy like a son. All I'm saying is maybe he's here right now instead of on the battlefield because we love him too much."

"Are you crazy?" Cass cut in. "Seriously? Are. You. _Crazy_? He's wailing like a banshee down there, roasted off his head on demon blood and you wanna let him out?"

Too afraid of what he might say, Dean stormed out of the kitchen slamming open and closed whatever doors he went through.

"The safest place for him is in that panic room," Cassidy continued. "Andie," She looked helplessly at her. "Why aren't you saying anything?

Andie scowled, annoyed at what she was about to say, "Because I think Bobby's right."

"What? _What_?" Cass's eyes were blazing. "You want to let him out?"

"I want to _help_ him!" Andie replied. "And I don't think this cold turkey thing is working."

_"Guysss! HELP!"_ Sam's frantic cries could be heard screaming.

"Should we check on that?" Cass asked as she paced back and forth.

"He hollers like that every now and again," Bobby sighed. "Starting to be considered normal-"

A sudden crash followed by smashing glass made the three of them look towards the basement door.

"That normal?" Andie asked.

"No..." Bobby shared a worried expression; a second later the three of them were bolting down the stairs to the panic room.

Bobby yanked the door open immediately; Sam was being thrown around the room by an invisible force that made Andie and Cassidy gasp. Andie hadn't seen Sam in so long; she could hardly believe it was the same person. He was shock white with hollow eyes and washed out skin. His muscles were tense and grasping at something unseen to the human eye. He was shuddering in a way that made Andie's mind flash back to Cassidy's resurrection and the way she'd been twitching on the floor.

"Can I get a hand, here?" Bobby cried as he tried to subdue Sam on his own.

Snapping out of her funk, Andie bolted to Bobby's side and took hold of Sam's right arm. She could tell he was fighting something inside; the demon blood wanting control but his sheer force of will keeping it from penetrating him completely. But it wasn't going to hold.

"We gotta tie him down!" Bobby yelled over Sam's cries of pain as he and Andie tried to set Sam down on the bed in the centre of the room.

"Cass?" Andie looked to the door where her friend was still staring at Sam in horror. "Cass! Dammit, get over here!"

"Yeah," Cass balled her hands into fists and ran to Andie's side. "What do you need?"

"Hold him down." Bobby ordered.

"Get his legs," Andie ordered Cass as she pressed down on Sam's shoulders and willed her power to help her keep him down. Cass had to lie her whole body over Sam's legs to stop them flailing.

Bobby slipped off his belt and used it to strap down Sam's head to the bed. "Chains over in the corner," He directed to Cass. "Get 'em!"

Springing off Sam's legs Cass ran for the chains. Whilst Andie held Sam down, Bobby and Cassidy looped the chains around Sam's body to bind him.

"What the Hell happened?" Dean's voice suddenly yelled over the racket. "What's going on?"

"He just started freaking out!" Cass said, her hair frazzled and chest heaving.

"Dean, come on," Andie tried to push him out of the room. "Let's go," She didn't like him having to see his brother this way. "Please."

Cass bolted out the panic room door while Dean reluctantly let Andie lead him out behind her. Bobby brought up the rear. None of them spoke; there was nothing they could say. Sam's groans of agony filled their ears and echoed throughout the basement. He was in pain; serious pain.

As Andie led a panicked Cassidy, numb Dean and helpless Bobby upstairs, it became quite clear to her that however carefree this past month with Zoe had been; that was long gone. It was back to reality now; and in Andie's reality Sam was dying, Cassidy was terrified and Dean had apparently gone numb. Normally it was her who was the one in need of help; and now she seemed to be the only one who could take control of the situation; but she wasn't worried. Andie knew how to be a leader; that was easy. It was the consequences that she couldn't handle.

**xxx**


	46. Chapter 46: Praying Won't Do You No Good

***longer chapter this time, covers a fair bit, but it's one of the ones I'm more proud of, lemme know your thoughts.***

**Chapter 46:**

_Praying Won't Do You No Good_

Feeling like a leader with no flock, Andie set out to find Cassidy. Bobby was elbows deep in more textbooks, Dean had gone screeching for Castiel again and Cassidy had bolted to a corner of the junkyard that took Andie almost a half hour to get to. She found her friend sitting dejectedly atop the bonnet of a slightly crushed white truck that was missing all of its tires so instead was sitting up on cinder-blocks.

"Hey...was looking for you," Andie said climbed up on the car beside Cass. "Why'd you take off?"

"Sammy..." She said through a deep exhale. "I thought it would be bad but," She shook her head. "Not like this."

Andie, too, sighed and leant back on her hands. "Yeah..."

"I thought I loved him, y'know," Cass said with a sad smile, turning to her friend and seeing a wide eyed expression that she had expected. "Sammy. I thought that's what love was. I was always so happy to see him... so happy to be with him..." Tears welled in her eyes. "But when I was away from him... I didn't miss him." She looked down at her hands. "It's always been that way for me, I just... I thought that's what it was."

"I thought that, too." Andie agreed a moment later. "It's hard to admit that you actually care about somebody so much ... that you can't do anything without them there beside you." She chewed her bottom lip. "It's tough to admit you need someone."

"I need you." Cass pointed out. "And you need me. We've always been like that."

"That's different." Andie said. "I dunno why, but it is. Hell, I've been with Dean for, what, a year? And I still not like him knowing how I feel."

Cass lay down against the windshield and clucked her tongue a few times. "I think it's time we grew up, Andie." She said as she stared at the sky.

Andie felt a strange feeling forming in her stomach. "What do you mean?"

"When I died... you did everything you could to bring me back." Cass said carefully. "And I'm grateful; _believe me_ I am. And I would've done the same thing for you. But following me to Iowa with Zoe? You didn't have to do that."

Andie lay down right beside her. "Yes, I did."

"No, you didn't." Cass said with a smirk. "In _your_ head you told yourself that was where you needed to be, with me in Iowa, because staying with Dean wasn't an option. How could you pick a man over your best friend? You couldn't. Not in your head." She let out a huge breath and interlaced her forefinger with Andie's thumb. "We're not kids anymore Andie. We don't kiss boys and run off, get drunk and party all night..."

"We don't do that stuff anymore."

"I know! That's my point!" Cass said through a nervous laugh. "We don't; but we _act_ like we do. You're in love with Dean, hell you're _married_ to Dean," She held up her hand to shush whatever response Andie had coming. "I don't wanna hear the 'saving him from Hell' reason _again_. If it didn't mean anything to either of you you'd be divorced or whatever by now. You can both hide behind the fact that you're too lazy to change it; but truth is; I think you both like being married - your version of married anyway – and it works for you. You're a wife, Andie. Well, you're a lot of things... a hunter, a half-angel, a bitch with a perfect rack...my sister...but you're someone's wife, now, too."

Andie's mouth opened and closed as though she was speaking; but no sound came out. She had no retort this time. "Well, I'm not gonna start wearing dresses and baking cookies." She finally mustered.

"I'd be worried if you did." Cass smiled through her tears. "I'm just saying..." She heaved a sharp intake of air. "I dunno...I dunno what I'm saying..."

"So why are you so upset?"

"Because I let you follow me back to Iowa when you should have stayed here," Cass said with her sincerest voice. "And then I let myself follow you here when I should have stayed in Iowa."

"You needed me." Andie argued.

"_Dean_ needed you." Cass gave a half-smile. "You still pick me over him; and I love you for it. But he needs you more than I do. Especially now."

"You really do love him, don't you?" Andie said a moment later, quite sure she'd pinpointed where all this had come from. "Luka."

Cass laughed and wiped her tears away. "I don't know... all I know is I'm sad that he's not here. I miss him. And as happy as I was when I was with Sam, I never missed him. Luka just... he's in my head, all day. I just want to see him and talk to him...but instead I came here."

Andie lifted herself up and rested her elbows on her knees. "You should go back."

Cass rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

"You should." Andie said firmly. "If Zoe is right - and damn that girl is usually right - then he feels the same way as you do. What's the harm in seeing if there's something there? If not; come back to me." She nudged her in the ribs. "I'll always take your awesome ass in."

Chuckling, Cass snuggled her head into the crook of Andie's neck. "Guess this makes me your bitch, now."

"Oh, Cass," Andie ruffled her hair. "You always were."

**xxx**

"Well, it's about time." Dean complained to Castiel when he finally popped up behind him in the back of Bobby's junkyard. "I've been screaming myself hoarse out here."

"It's about Sam, right?" Castiel answered his question before he asked.

Dean didn't even bother to ask how he knew. "Can he do it? Kill Lilith, stop the apocalypse?"

"Possibly, yes." Castiel replied in _that_ voice. "But as you know, he'd have to take certain steps."

"Crank up the hell-blood regimen." Dean muttered.

"Consuming the amount of blood it would take to kill Lilith would change your brother forever. Most likely, he would become the next creature that you would feel compelled to kill. There's no reason this would have to come to pass, Dean. We believe it's you, Dean, not your brother." Castiel said firmly; almost God-like in tone.  
"The only question for us is whether you're willing to accept it. Stand up and accept your role. Make that choice. You are the one who will stop it."

"If I do this," Dean mentally plotted through it carefully. "Sammy doesn't have to?"

"If it gives you comfort to see it that way." Castiel replied blankly.

Dean scoffed and walked aside. "God, you're a dick these days." He mumbled.

"I can show you something." Castiel suddenly spoke up, a rare hint of emotion in his voice. "Something that might sway your decision… make you more…eager, I suppose, to do the right thing."

Dean raised an eyebrow to him. "What?"

"Do you know what the world will be like if we lose? If Lilith gets her way?" Castiel asked him. "Do you know how many innocent people, innocent children, will die? The bloodshed will be unimaginable. The bodies will pile up in the streets and there is nothing you will be able to do about it. Demons will roam like locusts; destroying everything in their path. And you will be forced to watch. They will _make _you watch while they kill everyone and everything around you. Sam will be killed; probably immediately. They _really_ don't like what he's been doing." He took a step closer to Dean. "And Andie? She'll be tortured within inches of her life, be revived and then be tortured all over again right in front of your eyes. That is what _will_ happen if you don't make this choice."

Dean cleared his throat, trying not to let the fear of the imminent apocalypse loom over him. "You said you wanted to show me something."

Castiel pressed his middle and forefinger against dean's forehead and make him Dean gasp as a sudden white flash engulfed him. He went immediately deaf and couldn't see anything but pure white. He had a sudden thought that Cas had knocked him out; but when colours started forming around Dean again he let out a sigh of relief.

That was until his surroundings became clearer. He was in a lush, green field of knee-high grass. There were flourishing trees encircling the paddock, the sun was beating down happy, golden rays and there was a gentle breeze in the air.

A melody of giggles caught Dean's ears signalling that he could hear again; the laughter was coming from up ahead where Dean could see a little girl skipping along. He walked closer to her and saw the she was talking to someone lying down in the grass. As Dean walked, the other person stood up. It was a woman in a long, floral dress with shining, wavy brown hair flowing down her back. She lifted the little girl up off her feet and spun her around a few times. The child squealed with happiness. When the woman set the child down she let out a loud laugh that Dean would recognize anywhere. The woman was Andie. And when the little girl stopped to laugh with her; Dean saw the child's eyes. Identical. The little girl was Andie's daughter. Dean opened his mouth to yell towards them; but no sound came out. He tried waving his arms and shouting but it was useless; he was invisible to them. All Dean could do was watch.

And watch he did as Andie cuddled her daughter around her middle and lifted her high in the air to look a bugs and beetles on the tree leaves. He was unable to comprehend what he was seeing; what if it was just a trick? A ruse to trick him into siding with the angels? But then…what if it wasn't? What if this was Andie's future? She lived through the apocalypse and had her baby girl plus they were both safe. She'd lived through all the demons and come out the other side unscathed.

A shrill infant's cry caught Dean off guard. At first he thought only he could hear it, but he saw Andie lower her little girl to the ground and walk back to where she'd been lying down. Dean couldn't see through the long grass but he watched as Andie picked up a baby girl off what he now saw was a blanket on the ground. The baby was wearing a similar dress to her mother and had those same eyes. She started to smile as soon as her mother kissed her forehead. Three beautiful girls; a beautiful family. Andie had never had that; never. And here she was, smiling with her daughters.

She turned, _seeing_ him, and Dean almost laughed in elation. But the minute she began to smile, recognize him, he was back in Bobby's junkyard, standing just in front of Castiel in the mud beside a pile of ragged tires.

"What the Hell was that?" Dean asked, his eyes rounding and chest aching; wishing he was still in that field.

"You give yourself over wholly to the service of God and his angels?" Castiel answered, ignoring his question. "You swear to follow his will and his word as swiftly and obediently as you did your own father's?"

_Her face… her gorgeous, peaceful face_…"Yes, I swear." Dean said as he swallowed hard. "Now what?"

"Now you wait, and we call on you when it's time." And in a flash; he was gone, leaving Dean alone with only that memory of those beautiful girls and their enrapturing laughter.

**xxx**

Dean was sifting through the pages of an old textbook when Andie came back inside. "Where've you been?" He asked, his tone harsher than he intended it to be.

"Saying goodbye to Cass." She replied, concerned at his demeanour.

"Goodbye?" Dean repeated.

"I let her take the rental car; she needs to go back to Iowa for awhile." Andie explained. "After everything she's been through...I think she needs more of a break."

"But there were demons in Iowa." Dean pointed out. "And what about her, y'know, shocky thing?"

"_One _demon. And we took care of it. Plus Zoe is more than capable of helping Cass." She clasped her hands together and smiled a tense smile.

"But I still need her for the twenty percent of you I can't handle." Dean quipped.

Andie laughed, a relaxed laugh, making what she was planning to say a lot easier. She wanted to tell him she agreed with Bobby; what they were doing wasn't helping Sam and he just might be better off with some demon blood. Unfortunately, Dean didn't experience the same relaxation.

"I talked to Castiel."

"Oh?" Andie was momentarily distracted. "What did he say?"

"That if we give Sammy demon blood... it might give him the mojo to kill Lilith... but it would change him. Permanently." He added through gritted teeth.

Andie hung her head. "Well, that sucks."

"But he said it could be me." He continued, making Andie's mouth hang open in shock. "I could be the one to defeat Lilith, so that Sammy doesn't have to." Dean admitted. "If I turn myself over to their '_service'_..."

Andie felt like she'd been slapped in the face. "An angel's bitch? You _willingly _signed up to be the angel's bitch?" She couldn't believe her ears. "After everything you've said about them, _now_ you trust them?"

Dean rose from the couch; he couldn't tell her what he saw. Telling Andie he saw a future where she was a mother was sure-fire why to make her freak out. "You saw what was happening to Sam down there. The demon blood is killing him."

"But, Dean," Frantic tears found their way into Andie's eyes. "It's not your job-"

"What other option do I have?" He cried helplessly. "It's either trust the angels or let Sammy trust a demon?" His face softened slightly. "He's my brother...I'm not giving him demon blood; I won't do it."

Anger rushed through Andie's veins so fast she couldn't control it. He was going with the angels now? The guy who'd been bitching about them from the second they popped up into their lives was now their number one call boy. "Dean, it's not getting better!" She cried. "I don't know how to make it better and I swear to _God_ you don't either!"

Her sudden outburst caused both of them to fall silent, catch their breath...relax.

"Don't you do that," Dean said a second later. "Don't get mad at me."

"Dean... you just don't know. You don't know what to do and you're grasping at straws." Andie said in a softer voice. "_Please_ Dean...if you could just for once say "_I don't know_"?"

He swallowed hard before answering. "No, I don't know." He admitted. "But I won't let my brother turn into a monster." He blinked back tears as his voice cracked. "I won't do it, Morgan; please don't ask me to."

Unbeknownst to both of them; right then and there in the basement, Sam was being released. His chains unhinged, the door opened and the Devil's Traps were broken. He didn't know who had done it; but he took the window and ran with it. Dean, Bobby and Andie; none of them believed him. He knew what he needed to get through this; what he needed to defeat Lilith.

He needed Ruby.

**xxx**

"What do you mean he's gone?" Dean said as he handed Bobby an ice pack from the freezer. They'd discovered the man in an unconscious heap outside in the middle of his hard.

"I mean he pistol whipped me with my own shotgun," Bobby winced as he held the icepack to the bump on his head. "Stole my car and took off."

"All the Devil's Traps were open..." Dean recalled what he and Andie stumbled on in the basement. After their argument; they'd realized they weren't hearing Sam's cries for help so they went down to check on him and found an open cell door and scratches through the Devil's Traps. Someone had let him out; and Dean was quite sure it was Ruby. "Dammit; we gotta find him."

Bobby cast his wise eyes into the dining room where Andie was perched, cross legged, in the centre of the table. "What exactly is she doing?"

"Trying to use her angel locator thing to find Sam," Dean leant against the table.

"I can't sense him; but I can hear you two." Andie called out irritably with her eyes still closed.

"That doesn't mean..." Dean wandered into the living room. "I mean, if he was..."

"No, if he was dead I'd feel that." She gave up and opened her eyes. "_You'd_ feel that," She slid to the edge of the table and let her feet dangle off the edge.

"So, what does it mean?"

"Well... I'm looking for Sam... and I can't sense him if he's not Sam anymore." She rubbed the tense knot forming in the back of her neck. "Ruby must have him."

"And if she's got him, he's back on the demon blood," Dean realized. He rested his hands on either side of the table across Andie and leant his head against her shoulder. "Who knows what he's doing...?"

Andie pecked a kiss to his cheek and pulled his head off her by his shoulders. "Hey," She said shaking him a little. "He'll be fine. We're going to find him and he's going to be fine."

Dean gave her an odd smile. "Since when did you get so positive?" She just smirked wryly back at him.

**xxx**

Dean wasn't wrong when he said he knew his brother. He and Andie had managed to track him down, follow his trail laden with dummy clues and bluffs he would expect them to follow; but not Dean. He knew his brother too well, even if he wasn't exactly his brother right now.

Andie wasn't sure what she'd see when she came into Sam's hotel room, exactly five minutes after Dean had gone in as was their plan. Maybe him so strung out on demon blood he was flying from the walls, maybe in some compromising position with Ruby; but the last thing she expected was to see Sam beating the absolute shit out of his older brother.

"Stop!" Andie cried as she ran into the room and tried to rip Sam's arm's off Dean. "What are you doing, STOP! Leave him alone! Sam!" His elbow thwacked her in the jaw and made her recoil. Her lip split immediately and she could taste blood on her tongue.

Sam pushed Dean heavily into the mirror causing it to shatter into a million reflection pieces and then he turned on Andie, grabbing her by the throat and catching her off guard.

Knowing that if she used her power she'd get thrown wherever Sam was; Andie resorted to plan B and kicked Sam dead in the balls. He released her buckled over. As soon as Andie's feet were on the ground and did a sweeping kick and tripped Sam to the floor. Now in control, Andie used her power to lift Sam up and slam him against the wall. He sunk heavily to the ground, Dean watched from the left as he heaved himself up to his feet, supporting himself on the banister of the stairs.

Andie cracked her neck and let out a relieved laugh. "Oh, you have no idea how long it has been since I've kicked some ass." She said as she sent a roundhouse kick square into Sam's solar plexus. "I just didn't think," She punched him heavily in the jaw. "That it'd be you, Sammy," She grasped him by the collar and used her power to throw him the length of the room. It had been way too long since she'd flexed her telekinetic muscles; she'd almost forgotten the rush.

He extended his hand to her, the same as he would if he were exorcising a demon, but instead he used his own telekinetic ability and forced her back off her feet holding her against the wall. Dean rose to his feet and tried to tackle his brother but Sam was too quick and grasped Dean by the throat. With one hand he tossed him through the lattice room separator and down onto the second level of the motel suite. With Dean out of the way, Sam focused on Andie. He dropped his hand and let her slide to the ground.

Smiling shakily, Andie tried to get to her feet, ignoring the searing pain in her side. "Can't hold on to me, can you Sam?" She raised her hand to use her power but Sam grabbed her wrist, spun her around and made her double over; then he kneed her heavily in the abdomen. "That's all you got?" She wheezed as she hit the floor.

"Sam!" Dean hollered as he tried unsuccessfully to get to his feet; but he knew he'd broken a bone somewhere that was preventing him from moving. "Don't do this!"

Before Andie could get to her feet, she felt Sam's hefty leather boot digging into her ribs as he kicked her so hard she rolled across the floor. Knowing he was now the one in control, Sam, eyes blazing, descended on Andie and enclosed his strong hands around her neck. She struggled underneath him, her legs flailing as she tried to pry his hands from around her neck; but he was too strong. He had demon blood pumping through his veins giving him a strength Andie had no power to fight.

"_Noooo_!" Dean bellowed as he saw Andie's body go limp under his brother's attack

Damage done, Sam let her go. She immediately started gasping and coughing. He headed for the door; pausing at the doorway to stare down at his brother writhing on the floor. "You don't know me," He said with an evil smirk. "You never did. And you never will."

"Sam!" Dean coughed out as he struggled to sit up again. "You walk out that door; don't you EVER come back!"

For only one second more, Sam paused. And then he was gone.

"Dean..." Andie grunted as she leant up off the ground. She was bleeding from so many cuts and scrapes she didn't know where to staunch the bleeding first.

"You ok?" He grunted back, in too much agony to move.

"Yeah," Andie tried to push herself up with both hands and immediately buckled under her own weight. "Agh; no!" She corrected herself. Her right arm was completely numb. "I think I dislocated my shoulder. Again." She hugged her middle with her sore arm and used her left arm to pull her body closer to Dean.

"Me too." Dean groaned feeling a familiar throbbing in his left shoulder.

"Oh," The crawl really drained Andie's energy and she collapsed in a panting heap beside Dean. "Do you think he'll come back?" She rolled off her stomach to take the pressure off her shoulder.

"I don't care..." Dean panted. "He's gone, now."

**xxx**


	47. Chapter 47: Always 'Til The End

***I believe this is the second to last chapter I'll be writing for season 4. But don't worry! There will indeed be a season 5, I'll make sure to post a note in my last chapter about it***

**Chapter 47:**

_Always; 'Til The End_

On the drive back to Bobby's junkyard, Andie discovered she had twelve pretty severe cuts on her body that were all bleeding at various intensities, definitely at least one broken rib and her shoulder was dislocated again for sure. Dean barely managed the drive with his own dislocated shoulder; and by the time they both limped into Bobby's house they were so exhausted they just simultaneously collapsed on his couch.

"Christ!" Bobby cried when he saw them. "What the hell happened to yeh?"

Andie took the job of explaining everything while Bobby tended to their injuries. He gave them each a bottle of strong whiskey to help numb the pain and then within five minutes had popped both of their shoulders back in. The man was good at healing; no doubt about that.

"Damn, that boy," Bobby muttered at Sam, wherever he might be, as he bandaged a cut on Dean's forearm. "I'll make some calls... see if anyone knows where he might be..."

"Who could you call?" Dean asked as he took a long swig of alcohol.

"You don't know 'em for a reason, boy," Bobby clapped him on his newly located shoulder. "Can you finish stitching her up?"

"Course," Dean sat up on the coffee table just behind Andie and pulled the chair closer to him by its legs. He could see blood stained through her gray singlet and knew it was going to be bad. He handed her his bottle of whiskey and she took it with bloodied, bruised fingers. "Want me to tell you a story?" He asked with a smirk as he cleaned his hands.

Andie chuckled, and then grunted because the act of laughing caused her stomach searing pain. "A story?"

"Yeah... about two demon hunters, one a hot smart-alec Australian, the other with the sweetest ass you've ever seen, travelling across the country side slaying the bad, the ugly and the really ugly." He started. "And one day, they were in this garden-" She grabbed his wrist and cut him off

"Sorry, baby, but I am _high_ off my _ass_ on this," She waved the bottle of whiskey in front of his face. "And in more pain that I can imagine; I don't need you spouting some Garden of Eden story at me."

Dean pouted. "I prefer you drunk on tequila; you like me more."

"I'm sorry." She reached around and gently patted the side of his face with her hand.

"Alright, well I'll tell you something else; something that happened while you were away." He gingerly lifted up her t-shirt to reveal at least a six inch gash across her back. He swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat; his own brother caused these wounds to her and that made Dean so much angrier at Ruby. That frickin' demon blood.

"What are you talking about?" Andie asked through gritted teeth as she hugged the back of the chair she was straddling, wishing the whiskey would take away the pain of Dean prodding at her skin.

"Ever heard of a Prophet?" Dean asked as threaded a needle.

And so while Dean stitched up her wounds, cleaned her blood and put her back together as best he could, he told her about Chuck: The Prophet and the Supernatural series of books. She laughed when he told her she featured in the stories as did their sex life, she listened intently – perhaps because of her heightening inebriation – as he explained the importance of Chuck; what he meant to the angels and how he had uber-arch-angelic divine intervention. And when he'd stitched the last cut just below her ear; she kissed him. A thank you, a sign of her love, whatever it was; his heart began to race. Perhaps it was because they had both been drinking; but this kiss was memorable. As if it was their first; it was just pure. Honest. Real.

And her kiss, as well as the whiskey, gave Dean the strength to say what was going on in his mind. "I'm scared, Andie." He whispered. "I'm _really_ scared. The end is coming and we got... we got nothing. And Sammy?" He cut himself off and lowered his head.

Turning around in her chair, wincing at her numerous injuries, Andie rested her hands on his knees. "You think I'd know by now not to get attached..." She muttered sarcastically as she slouched down and leant her cheek against his shoulder. "But..." She hugged his forearm to her chest. "I love you, Dean."

Dean kissed her crown. "I know." He whispered. "I love you, too, Morgan."

"You know we've been talking about the apocalypse for so long..." She muttered into his shoulder. "I guess I feel almost immune to it; like it's never _really_ going to happen. But it is. It's the end of the world." She said darkly. "And all any of us can do is run from the destruction that's going to rain down on us." A shaky breath escaped her lips. "Nothing matters...nothing matters anymore."

He leant his head against hers. "We matter." He said a moment later. "You're it, Andie. You're all I got that gets me through..." He slid his hand into hers and interlaced their fingers. "All I need."

Andie drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yeah..." She agreed, squeezing his hand back. "Til the end..." She added in a morbidly sarcastic tone.

"Til the end." Dean agreed with a smirk. "Always; until the end." He cleared his throat. "I know you, Andie... I know the kinda person you are. Cassidy might call you tomorrow with a problem and, knowing you, you'll go to help her. Something might happen somewhere and you'll wanna go running to help out..."

Andie leant up and rested her chin on his shoulder, giving him a quizzical look. "Where are you going with this?"

"You should stay with me. And I mean, _stay_." He finally admitted. "You should stay with me, because I'll always stay with you."

"I'm not going anywhere." She said, annoyed at the effort it took for her to admit that. "Why is that so hard for me to say?"

Dean shrugged. "You're my weak spot," To this, she made a face. "You are," He confirmed. "And I'm yours." He pouted and chewed his bottom lip. "I can't do this without you, Morgan."

Andie drew in a deep breath and let the exhausted tear fall down her soft cheek. "You've got me."

**xxx**

Finally, she was asleep. Dean breathed a sigh of relief as he backed quietly out of the living room. He knew as well as Andie did how hard it was to sleep with such severe injuries; but the whiskey had put her out. He'd draped his jacket over her while she lay dozing on the couch and watched her carefully; making sure she didn't wake up. She needed sleep. And this was the best he could give her for now.

"Dean?" Bobby repeated his name for third time from his study. "You listen to a word I said?"

"Would you can it and let her sleep for five minutes?" Dean replied as he closed the living room door. "I had to watch Sam beat the ever-living crap out of her and now you want me to call him? We are damn near kickoff for Armageddon; don't you think we got bigger fish at the moment?"

"I know you're pissed." Bobby said in a lower tone. "And I'm not making apologies for what he's done, but he's your—"

"Blood?" Dean finished for him. "He's my blood, is that what you were gonna say?"

"He's your brother." Bobby finished. "And he's drowning."

"Bobby, I tried to help him, but... look what happened." He gestured to the living room. "He could have killed her if he wanted to...you didn't see the look in his eye." Dean had been trying to forget that look since they'd limped out of that hotel room.

"But he didn't." Bobby pointed out. "So try helping him again."

Dean hung his head. "It's too late." He mumbled to the floor.

"There's no such thing."

"No, dammit!" Dean snapped "No. I gotta face the facts." He continued; divulging the thoughts he'd been having ever since he and Andie had come back. "Sam never wanted part of this family. He hated this life. Ran away to Stanford the first chance he got. Now it's like deja vu all over again." He sat heavily into the sofa. "Well, I am sick and tired of chasing him. And after what he did to us?" He looked towards the living room again. "Screw him; he can do what he wants."

Bobby shook his head, refusing to believe what he was saying. "He's your _brother_. You don't mean that."

"Yes I do." Dean said through the lump in his throat. "Sam's gone. He's gone. I'm not even sure if he's still my brother anymore... if he ever was."

Fuming, Bobby turned and leant against his desk, trying to take some calming breaths. But a moment later; it was all too much and in one big, angry sweep of his hands he cleared everything off his desk, and then he turned his anger to Dean. "You stupid, stupid son of a bitch!" He screamed. "Well, _boo_ _hoo_, I am so sorry your feelings are hurt, princess!" He derided him. "Are you under the impression that family's supposed to make you feel _good_? Make you an apple pie, maybe? They're _supposed _to make you miserable!" He bellowed. "_That's why they're family_!"

"I told him, "_you walk out that door, don't come back_" and he walked out anyway!" Dean yelled back stubbornly. "That was his choice!"

"What the hell is going on in here?" Andie said loudly as she pushed the doors open and walked in on the two of them bickering. "If you're still fighting about Sam I'm going to shoot the both of you."

"He's actin' like a whiny brat," Bobby said in disdain to Andie before turning back to dean. "Naw, you sound like your dad. Well, let me tell you something. Your dad was a coward.

"My dad was a lot of things, Bobby, but a coward?" Dean shook his head.

"He'd rather push Sam away than reach out to him." Bobby said firmly. "That don't strike me as brave. You are a better man than your daddy ever was." It was clear Bobby was speaking from experience; he'd known John all of his hunting life. "So you do both of all a favor. Don't be him."

Andie turned to Bobby and they both shared the same, concerned expression, but when they turned back to Dean; he was gone. Vanished into thin air.

"What the Hell...?" Bobby said, his eyes widening. "Crap, the angels... it's gotta be."

With anger pulsing in her veins, Andie tilted her head back and screamed. "_GRAMS_!"

"_What_ did I tell you about screaming, Andie?" Ellie said as she appeared behind Bobby, making him spin around in a fighting stance. "Don't worry, dear," She straightened his trucker cap on his head. "I'm not like the others. I've still got the human touch."

"Where's Dean?" Andie asked.

"Oh, my love, you look awful..." Ellie rushed to her granddaughter's side and took her face in her hands. "Sam." She spat out his name. "He has a good heart but, Lord, it's waning..."

Andie grabbed her grandmother's fussing hands off of her. "Dean." She said again. "Where is Dean?"

"Safe." She smiled calmly. "He's very safe."

"What in the hell does that mean?" Bobby asked; eyes still wide and alert at this intruder.

"Since he chose to be by our side," She held her hands to her chest. "He's being kept protected."

Andie was affronted. "I can protect him."

"And I said as much to the others, Andie, but they don't know you like I do." She sighed. "They want him where they know they can find him. But," She took Andie by the shoulders. "I assure you he's safe." She noticed Andie's face wince as she touched her. "You're in pain." She stated.

"Yeah, I got my ass kicked by a demon-blood fuelled brother-in-law..." She trailed off as the aching pains all over her body ebbed away. In barely a few seconds; it was gone. All of it; the ache in her shoulder; the swelling in her ribs and the stinging of the gash on her back. Just gone.

"You're welcome." Ellie said with a wink.

"Damn..." Andie said; impressed. "Why can't I do that?"

"Part of the whole half and half deal," Ellie explained. "Some gifts you got; some you didn't."

"Th-Thank you..." She muttered trying to smile. "But, ah, Dean... how do I get to Dean? Can you just zap me there?"

"I could, but I won't." Ellie's face became stern and serious. "That isn't where you need to be. You need to get to Sam."

"That's what I've been sayin'," Bobby spoke up. "Right before Dean smoked outta here."

"But I can't find Sam." Andie said helplessly. "I've tried. With the demon blood in him... he's not on my radar anymore."

"I can help you." Ellie assured her. "But you _must_ stop him from killing Lilith."

Andie did a double take; this was news. This whole plan was about killing Lilith; that's what she was trying to prevent. Everything she'd done in these last months was in order to _kill Lilith_. "What? No, if I stop him then she's going to break the final seal and-"

"Lilith _is_ the final seal." Ellie said urgently. "If she dies... the end begins."

**xxx**


	48. Chapter 48: We Might Not Make It Home

***Last chapter of Andie-season 4 of Supernatural, thank you to everyone who has read and continues to read Andie!* **

***Season 5, titled _Long Way To Happy_, will have it's first chapter up within a few days so keep an eye out for it.***

***Zoe Mitchell - owned by the lovely Eryn (Frost Hobbit) and Aurora Sinclair - owned by Bec (Becimpala33) appear in this chapter (Happy birthday Bec!). Thanks to both of you for letting me write them into my story. OC's FTW.*  
**

**Chapter 48:**

_We Might Not Make It Home Tonight_

Cassidy pulled her hair into a loose ponytail as she jogged down the rickety motel steps to meet Zoe. _Dress normal_, she'd said. To Cass; that was light denim jeans and a red checked flannel button-up. Andie called it her 'trucker get-up', with the exception of her bright blue Converse sneakers, that is.

Zoe was waiting by her Bug on the curb just outside the motel, Cass's current residence until she found something more permanent, and she was also in jeans but with a red and yellow striped t-shirt over the top. Together, their outfits would clash; but they didn't care. They still fit together. "Afternoon." Zoe smiled as Cass arrived at her side.

"Ok," Cass slapped her palms against the sides of her legs. "What is it? Where are you taking me?"

"Why must you steal my fun all away?" Zoe said with a playful smirk as she opened the passenger's side door of her car. "Just get your butt in here."

Too intrigued to argue, Cass climbed into the car and buckled her seatbelt. She had no idea where they were headed but wished she'd gone to the bathroom before she'd left the motel; who knew how long they'd be driving?

"We're here." Zoe suddenly said with a broad grin as they pulled up to the diner. The diner that was _walking distance_ from Cass's motel. "Get out."

"What?" Cassidy was extremely puzzled as the climbed out of the Bug. "You brought me to a diner literally five minutes' walk from the motel?"

"I wanted to throw you off," Zoe shrugged as she locked her car. "And I did, didn't I?"

"If you're surprise is Maura's "special" pancakes," Cass made air quote fingers. "I'm good."

"No, it's better than that, come on..." Zoe tugged on her arm until they were inside, where in the back booth the surprise was already waiting. Zoe pushed Cassidy in front of her and stood her right by the table. "Cass Murphy; this is Aurora Sinclair."

"Oh my God!" Cass yelped so loud a handful of customers turned to gawk at her. "Z; you're a legend." She playfully shoved her friend and sat down in the booth across from Aurora. "I've been wanting to meet you."

"I'll go get us drinks," Zoe said patting Aurora hello on the shoulder as she passed her.

"Hi..." Aurora said to Cass, her eyes a mixture of shock and confusion. "Huh... when I asked Dean if I'd see you walking around again I didn't picture it... I mean... last time you were all... dead." She said the last word under her breath.

"Yeah; corpse is _not_ my best look," Cass quipped. "Hell; aren't you an FBI Agent? Shouldn't you be used to the death-ness?"

"The death-ness; yes." Aurora nodded, twirling the end of her plait between her fingers. "The re-animated dead... not so much..."

"I want to thank you for what you did." Cassidy said sincerely. "Really. I mean, hell it's gotta be hard to cover up, right? My best friend shoots me dead? How'd you keep that quiet?"

"Not as hard as you'd think." Aurora smiled, feeling a little more at ease. "I called you a Jane Doe. No murder weapon, no witnesses... you were just another ward of the state."

"Ward of the State..." Cass mused. "I might get tattooed on my ass..." Aurora smiled. "I like your hair..." Cass said, staring at Aurora's chestnut brown locks. "I used to be a brunette. Then I met that one," She pointed at Zoe who was walking back to the table with drinks. "And changed it up a notch."

"Funnily enough; I've actually considered going blonde," Aurora said with a grin. "But I don't think I could pull it off.

"That's what I used to think."

"You two having fun..." Zoe asked as she set down three cold drinks in front of them. "Looks like fun; you're having fun, right?"

"Tone down the crazy, Zo," Cass told her; pulling her into the chair beside her. "We're chatting."

"Speaking of crazy, how's Andie?" Aurora asked.

"Oh; that's funny." Cass giggled. "I like you. And she's fine, as far as her texts tell me. Not that she would let me know if something _was_ wrong."

Aurora stirred the ice around in her drink with her straw. "I thought you two were uber-close?"

"We are... but I kinda spurred her into this 'we gotta grow up' mentality; and part of that was her sending me back here." Cass gestured out the window.

"To Luka." Zoe added with an eyebrow raise across the table.

Aurora's eyes flashed. "Ooh; there's a Luka?"

"You know that hottie bartender I went to school with?" Zoe prompted her.

"The one who works at _Sully's Bar_? Prom date Luka?" Zoe nodded. "Oh, snaps for you." Aurora tipped her glass towards Cassidy. "Everything going okay with you guys?"

"Yes." Cass replied curtly. "Everything is good. _Ev-er-y-thing_. And I don't wanna jinx it so that is why I am stopping this convo right now."

"That means she loves him." Zoe decoded for Aurora.

"I see." Aurora laughed.

"Alright; knock of this _Sex And The City_ crap-talking; I wanna hear more about my alleged murder and subsequent cover up!" Cass banged her hand on the table impatiently.

Zoe shook her head. "Good Lord; you're morbid."

"I am; yes," Cass took it as a compliment. "I am the Andie Morgan of our little trio here."

Aurora began to tell the story of Cass's cover up to an enraptured audience, Cass was so intrigued by all this new friend of hers had done, on a whim, to protect Andie. She was quite sure if the situation was reversed Andie wouldn't have done the same thing. Not because she was an awful person; just that she didn't like to get immersed in someone else's drama. It was one of the reasons she steered clear of other hunters and fought on her own. Perhaps having met the two women with her; Cass had changed Andie's perspective a little bit. She made a mental note to brag about it the next time she saw her and tuned back into Aurora's story; forcing herself to ignore the tingling in her scar.

**xxx**

Exhausted, Dean dropped the pedestal he was trying to smash through the wall of this angelic green room he'd been zapped too. Panting; he looked to see how much headway he'd made and then groaned loudly when he saw the wall had repaired itself; as did everything he tried to break in this room.

It was small, yet large at the same time. Even with a huge bowl full of his favourite brand of beer – ice cold – and a stack of his most beloved cheeseburgers, Dean wasn't content. Not at all. Zachariah had told him all the seals were broken now; the end was indeed on its way, and instead of being out there hunting, Dean was stuck in this room."Sonuvabitch." He growled and tossed the pedestal aside.

"Quit hurling faeces like a howler monkey, would you?" Zachariah said as he suddenly appeared in the room. "It's unbecoming."

"Let me out of here." Dean ordered.

"Like I told you: too dangerous out there." Zachariah said tediously. "Demons on the prowl."

"I've been getting my ass kicked all year. Now you're sweating my safety?" He scoffed. "You're lying. I want to see my brother."

"Ill-advised." Zachariah brushed him aside.

"I want to see Andie."

"Also ill-advised."

Dean gripped his hands into tight fists. "You said there are demons on the prowl; she'll need my help-!"

"She doesn't _need_ your help, Dean." Zachariah cut in. "You underestimate her."

"No, I don't." Dean corrected him. "And that's _why_ you need to let me see her; because I know that she can't fight Lilith alone and she's too friggin proud to ask for help."

"She's half-angel! Doesn't that count for anything?"

"She's a parasite. Nephilim are weeds, descendants of Fallen angels who bred with humans." His face twisted into an ugly grimace. "Andie is nothing more than a mutant, and her damn grandmother is still too human to see it."

"She could kick _your _ass," Dean smirked in defence. "I'd sure as hell bet on it."

"Amusing," Zachariah chuckled; antagonizing in his tone. "That you think I'd bother duelling with a Nephilim, not that you'd think she would beat me. Although that's amusing, too." He let out another lofty chuckle and straightened his suit jacket. "Anyway...it's only a matter of time, now."

Dean cocked his head to the side, trying to read between the lines of his coded speech. "Are you saying she's going to die icing Lilith?"

"She's not." Zachariah revealed. "Going to ice Lilith, I mean. None of you are."

Dean's brow crinkled. "What?"

"Lilith's going to break the final seal." Zachariah said, a little too at ease with that fact. "It's over, Dean. Train's left the station."

All of a sudden, it hit Dean like a bolt of lightning. "You don't want to stop it, do you?"

"Nope. Never did." Zachariah smiled. "The end is nigh. The apocalypse is coming, kiddo, to a theatre near you."

"What was all that crap about saving seals?" Anger was pulsing through Dean's veins now. "And sending Andie after the Order of the Throne?"

"Our grunts on the ground - we couldn't just tell them the whole truth." Zachariah patronized him. "We'd have a full-scale rebellion on our hands. I mean, think about it. Would we really let 65 seals get broken unless senior management _wanted_ it that way?"

"The apocalypse?" Dean said in disbelief. "You _wanted_ this?"

"Poor name, bad marketing - puts people off. When all it is, is Ali v Foreman... on a... slightly larger scale." Zachariah sneered. "And we like our chances. When our side wins - and we will - it's paradise on earth." He frowned and held his arms out at his sides. "Now, what's not to like about that?"

"And what happens to all the people during your little pissing contest?" Dean said; his jaw flexing in anger.

"Well... you can't make an omelette without cracking a few eggs." He conceded. "In this case... truckloads of eggs, but you get the picture." He tried to make his expression softer – it didn't take. "Look... it happens. This isn't the first planetary enema we've delivered." He caught Dean's eyesight drift to a vase beside him. "Uh, no, Dean. Probably shouldn't try to bash my skull in with that thing. Wouldn't end up too pleasant for you." He smiled.

"What about Sam? He won't go quietly. He'll stop Lilith." Dean said confidently.

"Sam..." Zachariah took in a large breath. "Has a part to play; a very important part. He may need a little nudging in the right direction, but I'll make sure he plays it."

Warning bells were ringing in Dean's head. "What does that mean?" He growled. "What are you going to do to him?"

"_Sam, Sam, Sam. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia_." Zachariah chortled. "Forget about him, would you? You have larger concerns. Why do you think I'm confiding in you? You're still vital, Dean. We weren't lying about your destiny. Just... omitted a few pertinent details. But nothing's changed. You _are_ chosen. You _will_ stop it. Just... not Lilith, or the apocalypse. That's all."

"Which means?" Dean asked. _What else was there?_

Zachariah gestured to a painting on the wall beside them, depicting the archangel Michael defeating a dragon that symbolized the devil. "Lucifer." He stated simply. "You're going to stop Lucifer. You're our own little Russell Crowe, complete with surly attitude. And when it's over... and when you've won... your rewards will be... unimaginable. Peace, happiness... two virgins and seventy sluts." He smiled smugly. "Andie?" He raised his eyebrows, anticipating Dean's next question. "You want her; you've got her. It's all about you, Dean." He laughed. "Trust me - one day, we'll look back on this and laugh."

Dean smirked and looked to his feet. "Tell me something. Where's God in all this?" He asked; his blazing eyes staring back up at this so-called angel.

"God?" Zachariah repeated, seemingly shocked that Dean had to ask. "God has left the building."

**xxx**

Andie knew how to get to St. Mary's Convent, her angelic mental LoJack coming to her rescue yet again; but she still couldn't sense Dean. Ellie had said that was the angel's doing; they were keeping him off the grid so she wouldn't get in the way and bust him out. Ellie instructed her granddaughter that her best way to find Dean was to first find Sam, who was hauling ass to St. Mary's, presumably with Ruby, to kick off the final showdown with Lilith. She couldn't zap her there; the angels would follow and try to stop her. So instead she hopped into Bobby's fastest car and headed North.

Everything seemed to be happening so fast. This time last week Andie had been laughing in a bar with Cass and Zoe. Now she was going to stop the apocalypse by finally killing Lilith? The demon who had taken Dean from her? She loved her life most of the time; but she could do without the constant threat of death over her head.

Whilst she drove, Andie debated calling Cassidy in for backup; but hastily decided against it. One of them deserved happiness, and Cass was happy. She'd lost her life; and now she had it back. She was with friends and was living a normal hunter's life. Not dealing with angels or the apocalypse. That lovely task was reserved for Andie in all her half-angel glory. The instances in her life that had been unexplainable before now made sense since she'd discovered where her power came from; she was unique. And she liked that; but there was a difference in being unique because of your personality and unique because you have angel blood pumped through your veins. She had so many questions to ask her grandmother now... would she get the chance? It all depended on what happened in this church. If the angels were fleeing, as Ellie claimed, she might never see her again.

It was then that Andie saw it; and it was like a beacon of hope. The sign for St. Mary's church. Pressing down hard on the pedal, Andie sped towards the building, breaking so hard she lunged forward in her seat and almost smacked her head on the windshield. Now was _not_ a good time to get a concussion. She grabbed the double barrel shotgun from the back seat that she'd also nicked from Bobby and hurried inside where she could hear the faint sound of Ruby's voice as well as a clanging of metal on metal.

Without even bothering to check if they were open or closed, Andie just used her power to open every door she came across as she strode towards the noises. She almost didn't believe the figure trying to break through the door when she saw him. "Dean?" She called out.

"Andie?" Dean looked as shocked to see her as she did him. After everything with Zachariah; he'd had a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that he might not see her again. He slid the demon knife into his waistband and reached for her.

"Dean," She clutched his arms as she almost ran into him. "Are you ok?"

"Cas busted me out," He replied. "They're in there," He jeered his head to the closed double doors. "I can't break through."

Andie took a swipe at it with her power; it just shuddered a little. "Come on." She squared her stance and pushed both her hands towards the door; channelling her power from wherever it came from to break open that door and get them through to Sam.

"Come on, Andie!" Dean urged as he tried to kick down the door.

With a guttural grunt, flexing muscles she didn't even know she had in her arms, legs, and stomach, Andie broke through the doors to see Lilith's dead body, bleeding crimson blood into a shape on the floor; a broken Sam staring helplessly at Ruby, who turned to face Dean and Andie.

"You're too late." She sneered with an evilly gleeful sparkle in her eye.

Dean smirked. "I don't care." He pulled the knife from his jeans and advanced on her. She moved to get into a fighting stance, but was stopped... by Sam. He grabbed her arms and pinned them at her sides; holding her in place so Dean could stab her. He stared her right in her eyes as she flickered from the inside, reacting to the poisonous knife, and then crumpled to the floor; dead in both demon and body.

"I'm sorry..." Sam said in a pained voice. "I'm so sorry."

Andie's chest was pounding as she looked at the floor seeing the pattern of blood spilling from Lilith's corpse pour into a single central point of the shape. As soon as the blood trails connected; a shocking white light exploded from within it and caused the walls of the convent to tremble threateningly.

"Dean..." Andie tugged urgently on his sleeve as the roof began to flake and break into pieces.

"Move," Dean grabbed her hand and Sam by the upper arm and they ran to the doors; which promptly slammed shut in front of them.

"No!" Andie cried and banged her fists against the sealed exit.

"Dean..." Sam practically moaned as he looked over his shoulder. "He's coming..."

Andie stared from Sam to the hole in the ground, the white light so fierce it was burning her eyes. It engulfed the room and the trio like a sharp updraft of wind. The last thing Andie saw was the distant silhouette of Dean's horrified face as the whiteness swept over him, taking him from her vision. She saw nothing. She heard nothing.

And then suddenly... black.

**xxx**


End file.
